Shepard's Creed: Beginnings
by Seanchaithe
Summary: Rejected by the Alliance, Elizabeth Shepard must find a new path to forge. Salvation from herself comes in the form of the Brotherhood of Assassins, an ancient order sworn to protect the free will of all beings. AU influenced by Assassin's Creed, Pre-ME1.
1. The Third Option

**Author's Note: This is a semi-crossover with Assassin's Creed in the sense that Shepard's training and the Order itself is based off the Assassin's Creed games. There are some hints that Mass Effect falls into the same universe and there will be references to events within the AC games. However, you don't need to know the AC games to understand the story. Enjoy!**

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><p>"Rejected! What do you mean I was rejected?" Hackett could hear it in her voice as she did her best to contain the anger and having little success.<p>

Captain Hackett's office on Arcturus Station was small, he was still getting used to the new posting after spending most of his time in space. He had felt honored; he was on track to commanding the Arcturus Fleet. His current job, though, was not something he expected to deal with.

Before him, the small frame of Elizabeth Shepard sat shaking. She held the end of the long braid of her red hair, a leftover from her farm-girl days. The fire in her eyes made the green almost seem to glow as the fury threatened to overtake her. He understood her anger, he had all but assured her that the Alliance would accept her as an N7 recruit. He had stood before the board and told of her bravery on Mindoir, her determination as she caught up with the necessary educational and physical requirements to join the Alliance and her accomplishments during the initial screening phase. Her scores in the areas of command, combat and the near perfect sniping score had him convinced she would be accepted.

Then the psych report made its way to their table.

A long sigh escaped his lips, "I'm sorry Shepard, I wish I had better news."

He watched as a thousand questions crossed her pale face. Her head snapped up and she locked eyes with him, "Why?"

Hackett pushed the data pad with the report across the desk towards her and laced his fingers together. He had read the report the psychiatrist had sent him. It was bullshit. None of the statements against the batarians Shepard had made would've raised red flags with him and her mental state when it came to the trauma she had endured from losing her family showed him that she was handling it well. "It was the psychiatric report. They had concerns."

He could see her eyes dart from side to side as she scanned the information. A look of disbelief slowly formed, "They think I'm going to take revenge against the batarians?"

"You did say if you were able to you would hunt them down." He knew he would've said the same thing if he was in her position.

"I would never do that!" The sound of her voice echoed through the office. He saw her shoulders fall as she leaned back into her chair, "I mean, yeah...I want the ones who attacked my home killed but I wouldn't actively go looking for them.

"I know you wouldn't, but they weren't convinced." Hackett got up from his seat and walked around his desk, leaning against it. He took the data pad from her. "Your hostilities towards the psychiatrist and the threatening statements didn't help your case. You can still enlist in the Alliance, see a shrink, "she snorted her displeasure at the idea, "and try again for N7 training."

Shepard got up quickly and walked towards the window away from him, "And do what? Groundside postings?"

"There's also shipboard postings." He walked over towards her and put a hand on her shoulder, "I know it's not the Special Forces but it's still the Alliance. You'll still be defending humanity."

She shrugged his hand off her shoulder, "Groundside or shipboard, it doesn't matter. Those are both reactionary to the problem. They don't prevent attacks, N7 does. How can I truly protect colonies when they're already being hit?"

Hackett ran his hands over his tired face, he knew she was right. Shepard needed a more proactive roll, offensive not defensive. If she didn't get the right job they would lose her as a valuable asset. She needed direction, focus; she needed a way to channel her anger and energy in a more positive way. A thought began to form, one he was sure was the best alternative for her.

"I'm sorry Elizabeth, it's the best I can offer." He couldn't let his hand show just yet. He already failed her in making one promise; he wouldn't make the same mistake again.

"Fuck you. I'll find another way." Hackett watched her turn and storm out the door. He would make it right by her, he would see to it that she would get the absolution she felt she needed for Mindoir.

Hackett typed in the encryption commands and waited as his transmission connected. He knew this was the best option for her, though maybe not the best moral option. At least it wasn't a merc band, which was the direction he was sure she meant. The beep on his terminal let him know that he had connected. A few more codes and a shadowy figure appeared on his screen, "Captain Hackett, how may we be of service?"

"I need to speak with The Mentor. I may have a recruit for him, someone with a lot of potential." He just hoped he wasn't making a mistake.

* * *

><p>Elizabeth Shepard had wandered aimlessly through one of Arcturus' busy market districts. She didn't want to return to the group home where she had been staying for the past year and a half since the attack of her home.<p>

Rejected.

The word rolled through her head as if on a broken record. No matter how hard she tried to think beyond that one word, it always came back to the forefront of her mind. She wished she could go back and change her statements to the shrink. But the damned woman had poked and prodded her, not believing she was so well adjusted after undergoing such a trauma.

Elizabeth credited Captain Hackett with that. He had been the one to get through to her as she aimed her rifle at the officers who had finally arrived to help, while she was unable to distinguish friend from foe. He was the one who had promised an Alliance burial for her brother after he found out how much Finn wanted to be an Alliance officer. He was the one who helped her reconnect with reality, pulling her from the fog of despair and guiding her along the path to channel her energies into something good. Guiding her towards the Alliance and N7 training. She was going to save the galaxy one human colony at a time.

All that was lost thanks to one dumb bitch who wouldn't recommend her for N7 training because of some emotional outbursts.

_Stupid cow, I should have punched her in the face when I had the chance. _Elizabeth smiled at the thought, finding some catharsis in imaging the woman with a broken and bloodied nose. The feeling was short lived. In the end, she still wasn't going into the N7s.

Rejected.

Elizabeth found a bench further away from the busy walkways but still in the middle of the action. She wanted to watch people, it helped her think. This particular district was one of the safest due to is close proximity to the Alliance Headquarters. Most people in sight were officers; on leave, on break or just going from one office to another. She had expected to be among them in a few months, wearing the crisp uniforms and defending humanity. Now she felt lost and angry, looking at the officers made her start to hate them.

Sure, there was enlisting in the Alliance and maybe she'd get a shipboard posting. Chances were, though, that she would be part of some garrison on a colony charged with defending it if it was attacked. IF…Most colonies were secure, it was the rare few, like Mindior, that weren't. She wouldn't see much combat and she certainly wouldn't be making any kind of difference to stop attacks in the first place. No, she needed to be N7 and she had the skills to do it.

_Just not the mental state apparently_. Elizabeth felt her anger rise again.

_Oh hell, maybe I'll join a merc band. Then I can do...something._ The idea didn't sit well with her but it seemed her only option. At least then...who knows.

Her omni-tool beeped indicating she had received a message. Typing a few commands brought up the message:

**Shepard,**

**Meet me at The Florentine Eagle in one hour.**

**I have a third option.**

**-H**

It was oddly cryptic, the message was listed as an unknown sender and encrypted but it was obviously from Captain Hackett. Elizabeth brought up a map on her screen, showing her where the place was. It was some distance by foot but she had time.

_What could be so secret about this "third option" that he picked a place so far from Alliance Headquarters and sent an untraceable message?_ Her curiosity peaked, Elizabeth headed for the location.

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><p>Elizabeth walked into the dark Italian diner, it reminded her of one of those mob family fronts from the vids she and Grandpa Joe would watch after her mom would go to bed. She picked a booth with the best view of the door and waited. The waitress seemed to be annoyed that Elizabeth only wanted water and the free, stale bread sticks. Elizabeth didn't care.<p>

She was beginning to getting impatient waiting for Hackett to show up. Elizabeth was never one to just wait around, she needed to always be doing something._ Probably why I always got into trouble at home_, she mused.

Just as she was about to leave, a shadow passed over her. Elizabeth turned around to see Hackett looming over her, "Sorry, there were arrangements that needed to be made." Hackett took the seat across from her.

"How the hell did you get in here without me noticing?" She didn't bother hiding the shock in her voice.

Hackett gave a small smile, "Trade secret."

Elizabeth wasn't fully satisfied with the answer but from the look on his face she wasn't going to get a better one. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back, her standard defensive posture. "So, what kind of 'arrangements' were being made?"

"I believe I have a way for you to gain the training you want and the focus you need outside of the Alliance."

Elizabeth blinked, not quite believing what he had said. Her mind rolled through his statement trying to figure out exactly what he was proposing, "Outside the Alliance, what does that mean?"

Hackett sighed, she could see he was trying to figure out how to explain exactly what he was talking about. There was something very odd about the whole thing. "They are a group of highly trained specialists who have sworn themselves to be...protectors of free will. They don't follow the same rules we do, they have their own code which dictates their way of life. They can handle things outside of Alliance jurisdiction that we cannot touch."

There was a long pause between them. 'They' sounded like mercs and Elizabeth was getting annoyed at how cryptic Hackett was being. While she had been contemplating joining a merc band, it surprised her that he would suggest the same thing. Shaking her head, she finally said, "This sounds like a whole lotta bullshit to me, Captain."

"I know, but trust me with this."

"They sound like mercs. Thought you would want me on the straight and narrow." she challenged.

She could see the hints of frustration pass over his face, "They're not mercs. I'm sorry that I can't go into more detail. I'll leave that to them to explain what they do and why they do it in more detail."

"So you're just passing me off to some other group? Get me out of your hair because you dropped the ball?" Bitterness dripped from her voice.

"Look," Hackett leaned forward and she saw an intensity in his eyes that she found hard to pull away from. His air of command caused her to sit up straighter like she was one of his officers and she listened carefully, " I know your potential and the Alliance was wrong for rejecting you for N7 training. You're right, ground side or ship board, you would be at a waste. This way you can be proactive in protecting humanity. And," his eyes locked on hers, "you may finally find peace and stop blaming yourself for the loss of your family."

Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak but quickly closed it. She tore her eyes away, unable to look at him any further. Quietly she asked, "What do I do?"

Hackett took out a transport ticket from his jacket and pushed it across the table. She picked it up with unsteady hands. "There is a transport heading for Intai'sei tomorrow morning. That is your ticket to get onboard. On this," he pulled out an OSD and handed it to her, "is the rest of your instructions: what to take, where to go on Intai'sei and who to meet." Elizabeth took the OSD and slipped it into her omni-tool. "I know this isn't the direction you thought your life would go in but sometimes you just have to go with the unexpected turns."

Slowly, Elizabeth raised her eyes back up to Hackett's, "Okay, I'll be on that transport."

"Good. Send me a message as soon get there and we'll see what happens next." Hackett got up from his seat and started towards the door.

"Captain," he stopped and looked down at her, "Thanks, for everything." Hackett patted her on the shoulder and left.

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><p>Elizabeth readjusted the duffel bag on her shoulder for the nth time that morning. The docking bay was busy even at this early hour and Elizabeth had done her best not to get lost. It took her the better part of an hour to find her transport and now she was just waiting for security to move faster so she could board. Nervous energy had kept her up all night and now it was the only thing keeping her going.<p>

After a long wait, she had finally reached the security agent. Elizabeth handed the agent her ticket, ID and answered the standard security questions: name, destination, reason for travel, has your bag been with your person at all times?

The questions seemed never ending but Elizabeth had finally managed to get through the gate. She took one last look around then stepped on board.


	2. What I Need

**Author's Note: This was previously two different chapters, I just combined them so I can somewhat streamline this story.**

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><p>Elizabeth tried not to complain about the cramped space on the transport seeing as how the ticket was free. But it was really hard not think angry thoughts towards Hackett at the moment. The first leg of the trip was fine, the transport had taken her to a major port and from there she changed transports. Unfortunately, not many people travel to Intai'sei. The only vessels to actually go to Intai'sei are cargo vessels; cargo vessels that aren't designed for passengers. The ship was retrofitted with a passenger area and Elizabeth was one of nearly forty passengers in a space designed for twenty.<p>

She kept to herself, not really wanting to talk with others on the ship. Picking up conversations from those around her, she determined that most of the passengers were either scientists or families looking for a new life. Activating her Omni-tool, she brought up the information on the OSD Hackett had given her to keep herself occupied. She had read it several times before, practically having it memorized at this point. There was some information on the planet itself, not much beyond the geological interest and the wind-farms that juiced the few cities on the planet. That and it was hot; hotter than hell during the peak of the day. Elizabeth was no stranger to being in the sun but the temperature on Mindoir had been fairly temperate.

_Guess that should be expected seeing as how it's a desert planet._ Elizabeth mused to herself. She had never seen a desert, just the meadows and forests of Mindoir.

After the basic information about the planet was the information about the "specialists" Hackett told her about. Still, not very much information was on the OSD. The group had apparently been operating for as long as humans had recorded history and, the information implied, well before that as well. They saw themselves as the stewards of free will and took whatever necessary steps they felt appropriate to protect it. Elizabeth filled in the blanks with that one: they killed anyone who threatened their idea of what free will meant.

She once again thought about how they seemed like a merc band, a merc band with some morals however shady those morals might be. Elizabeth couldn't believe that Hackett would send her to be trained by this group. However, he did seem to know what he was doing so she decided she was going to trust him on this as she had before. Granted the whole N7 recruitment had been a bust but that wasn't his fault, he didn't know she would be so hostile towards the shrink and only looked at her as a soldier would.

Scrolling down, she got to the important information: where she was going and who she was meeting. The information was still very cryptic: she was landing in Intai'sei's major city of Chuoshi and had to travel by yet another transport to reach the small, secluded city of Muryama near the northern mountains. There she was supposed to meet her contact, the name withheld of course, who would take her to her final destination.

Elizabeth sighed and leaned back into her seat. She wasn't sure what to make of the whole situation. She had expected to be with the Alliance, training to be a soldier and saving lives. Now she was heading to some sequestered city on some backwards planet to be trained by some shadow group. This was not the life she ever expected to have.

Then again, she never expected to leave Mindoir.

Elizabeth had been content with the idea of staying and living the life of a farmer. She closed her eyes and let her mind drift back to home. She thought of the large tree on the edge of the field she would sit in while watching over the small heard of, ironically enough, sheep. She was given endless amounts of grief over the fact that she was a shepherd, in both name and duty, by her friends. But she loved every moment of it, especially sitting in that tree under the stars with nothing but the peace found so far from the town. At least, till the night the batarians came. She had been sitting in that tree watching the stars when she saw what she thought were meteors, except meteors didn't slow down as they approach the ground. A weight began to crush her chest and her ears seemed to fill with the sound of screaming and gun fire. The room became hot and she could feel sweat running down her face. The weight became heavier and she struggled to pull air into her lungs.

She was trapped. It was too crowded and dark. If she didn't do something the batarians would make a slave of her. She needed to get out...she needed to…

"Attention, we will be arriving at Intai'sei in thirty minutes. Please prepare for our entry into the atmosphere. Thank you." The captain's voice broke her out of her memory, announcing the imminent arrival. Elizabeth was brought back to the present but her body still felt on edge. She too slow, steady breaths.

_I'm not on Mindor, I'm on a transport heading for Intai'sei. There are no batarians. I'm safe._ Her lungs loosened up and her muscles relaxed. Sadness hung over her still, her Mindoir was gone along with everyone she cared for. How much she wanted to go back...

_Forward, I have to think forward. Not backwards, there's nothing left for me there. Everything is forward._ It had become her tenet, a chant she would say to herself when her thoughts turned to her old life. She tried to follow it fully since leaving Mindoir. Thinking about her old home life would do her no good,that was a step backwards. Backwards, along with the Alliance and N7s, everything she had geared herself up for up to this point was now behind her. She was getting the training she wanted, just not from where she had expected it. Life was interesting that way.

The lights dimmed on the transport indicating they were coming to the end of their journey. Elizabeth mentally checked that she had everything and relaxed.

_Forward, think forward._

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><p>Stepping off the transport, the first thing Elizabeth noticed was the heat as it as blew all around her. Not a drop of moisture in the air, she felt her lips begin to itch from the heat as they dried. The sun was intensely bright and she held up a hand to shade her eyes. This was definitely not what she was used to.<p>

_I'm not on Mindoir anymore_. She thought while looking around. The port of Chuoshi was extremely busy with people departing from the ship and others retrieving the cargo from the hold. The light from the sun blared down on the area and she could see most people were wearing sunglasses and protective clothing to shield themselves from the sun and dust. The clothes, she noticed, were loose and light in color like something she had seen on the old vids about the Middle East on Earth. She stood out, dressed in her blue plaid shirt and brown pants. "I'm a damned cowboy in the middle of Lawrence of Arabia, all I'm missing is my hat." She muttered to herself while wishing she had her wide-brimmed hat.

Elizabeth was shooed away from the landing zone by one of the port security guards, he looked annoyed. Guess he didn't like people loitering about. She moved further away from the landing area and made her way towards the town itself.

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><p>Elizabeth stopped for a moment so she could put her hair up in her bandana. The heat was starting to get to her; she felt her face flush with the rise in her own body temperature and the heat from the ground was passing up right the soles of her shoes. She was looking for a place to rest and stay for the night seeing as how her transport for Muryama didn't leave till early the next morning. She was dead tired too. The problem with intergalactic travel, she discovered, was each planet had its own rotation and her body was telling her it was well past her bedtime. Unfortunately, it was only midafternoon on Intai'sei.<p>

Shifting her duffel bag on her shoulder she pressed forward in the direction of the main square, figuring that's where she would find an inn. Most of the buildings in Chuoshi were prefabs with some adaptations to make them look less artificial. Many of the buildings had been covered in mud to keep out the heat which gave them an adobo look. Thinking about how cool the buildings must be made her feel even hotter. Elizabeth picked up her pace, there had to be an inn somewhere nearby.

As she walked through the streets looking at each of the signs, Elizabeth never noticed that someone was following her. Not until that "someone" ran into her. She tumbled to the ground as she was body checked and felt the strap of her duffel bag leave her shoulder. After a moment's disorientation, she realized that the strap hadn't fallen off but that the "someone" turned out to be a thief and had grabbed her bag. The thief was quickly expanding the distance between himself and her.

Elizabeth didn't bother to shout for help, she had gotten into enough troublesome situations back at home that she considered herself an expert at making a run for it. She launched herself forward after the thief, not wanting to lose him to the winding streets. Her feet pounded the ground and her arms pumped the air as she gained ground on him. She was lucky that there weren't too many people out at the moment and that she didn't have to waste energy dodging them. The thief turned sharply down an alleyway, vaulting over a crate that was in his way. Elizabeth easily made the same leap and lost no time chasing him. She kept pace with him; through the twists and turns, the many obstacles in the way, and the people going about their business.

However, she was not used to the arid environment and it was taking its toll on her. Her lungs were hurting as she sucked in the hot air, each breath stinging her insides; her skin felt like it was on fire; her clothes clung to her sweat drenched body. She wasn't sure how much longer she could chase him but she wasn't about to let him go. And even with his home field advantage, she was able to keep up with him.

That was until he was no longer staying on the streets. She watched as he launched himself up onto crates, up the wall and onto a beam. He started running along the beams going across the buildings and over the streets.

_Fuck! _She thought to herself, still weaving around people on the street. She saw him disappear on the roof of one of the buildings. Maneuvering in the direction she thought he was heading in, she passed through the alleys around while keeping an eye above her. Occasionally, she saw glimpses of him as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop. She tried to anticipate his movements, hoping that every turn she made was the right one. As she ran down one of the alleys, she contemplated going up a fire escape on the side of one of the buildings. Afraid of losing ground climbing up the ladder, she continued the chase on the ground.

She came out of the alley into a market square filled with people and goods. Elizabeth stopped and scanned the area, the thief was nowhere to be seen. He was not getting away from her, she was not going to be some greenhorn who lost her bag the first day off the boat. This was not going to happen.

Swift movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention and she saw the thief making his way across the market square. A jolt shot through Elizabeth's body and she bolted in his direction. He must have sensed she was coming as he turned quickly and ran. The crowd was slowing him down, giving Elizabeth an advantage and allowing her to gain ground.

_Almost, almost, almost_, her mind chanted. She was going to reach him; she was going to catch him.

The thief suddenly whirled around an old man, grabbed his tunic and threw him to the ground. The old man hit hard and Elizabeth had to leap over him to avoid running into him. Sliding to a stop, Elizabeth looked down at the old man who seemed hurt. Looking from the man to the thief and back again, her mind ran through the options she had before her. There were other people around who could help though no one looked like they were making a move. She was also feeling responsible for the old man, it was her fault in a way that he was hurt. Looking once more in the direction the thief was heading, she watched as his form grew smaller as the distance between them increased.

Turning back to the old man, she kneeled down next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" she asked.

The man grimaced as he rolled himself into a seated position, "Yes, I do believe so. Though, I am unsure as to what happened."

"You were knocked down by some guy running through here." She activated her omni-tool's basic first aid scanner and checked for any major injuries. "Looks like nothing serious, maybe a sprained wrist."

"Most likely my arthritis." He took the hand Elizabeth offered and she helped him up, "Thank you, my friend."

She bent down, picked up the bag he had been carrying and heard the sound of glass clanking together, "I'm sorry to say, it sounds like something's broken."

The old man took the bag from her and looked inside. "Oh," he groaned dejectedly, "That is unfortunate." He closed the bag back up and looked down at Elizabeth. "Thank you again for your assistance, is there anyway I could repay you?"

She sighed, so far her attempts at a new life were failing. Her duffle was now a lost cause along with all her clothes and a few personal items…the last remnants of her life on Mindoir. Fortunately she made sure her credit chit was on her person and not in her bag, so not a complete loss. "It's okay, just directing me to the nearest inn would suffice."

"An inn? There is one near my shop. Follow me, I will take you there." He gestured with his hand in the direction she supposed his store was.

Not one to be rude, she nodded. "Okay, thanks." She followed him as he lead the way.

* * *

><p>"So, what is your name young one?" His speech struck her as so formal, like something out of an old black and white vid.<p>

"Elizabeth Shepard." She looked at him from the corner of her eye. He towered over her, she figured he was over six feet tall. There was something else though, his height wasn't what was making him imposing. There was something else. Like the others, he was dressed in light, loose tunic with darker pants. He also wore a hood over his head, shielding his eyes from the sun. Once again, she wished for her wide brimmed hat.

"Ammon Eyad, a pleasure to meet you Elizabeth." Looking down at her, she felt like he was sizing her up, "How is it you have come by Chuoshi dressed as you are? You stand out a bit from the crowd."

She looked down at her clothes, "I just got here today, I'm heading up to Muryama tomorrow morning."

"Muryama? Hmm…" She felt his eyes boring into her, "They say things about the mountain city. Shady characters are said to be found there."

Elizabeth tried to play it off with a shrug, "I have a friend there who said he can find me work. Nothing shady about that."

He regarded her for a moment more, long enough to make her uncomfortable. Finally, she felt his eyes move away from her, "Perhaps you are right."

They fell silent for the rest of the trip. Elizabeth was bothered by the silence, it was forcing her to think about her choices without distraction. What was it specifically that made the place "shady?" Maybe Hackett was wrong about this group, maybe she should take what money she had left and take the next transport off the planet. She shook her head, she had come too far to turn back now.

As they walked, Elizabeth felt the heat more intensely, more so thanks to the chase earlier. She knew she hadn't given her body a chance to recover and really needed to rest in a cool, shady place. Her head began to hurt, her stomach was feeling upset and she was seeing sparks in her vision.

"How much further?" She breathed slowly to try and calm her stomach.

"Not much, we will reach my shop shortly."

All she could do was nod. With each step, her feet felt more and more like lead weights till she was nearly dragging them on the ground. The white light from the sun was causing the pain in her head to intensify while shadows crept at the edges of her vision. A buzzing started to fill her ears, drowning out the sounds around her. She thought she heard a voice next to her but it was muffled by the buzz as it got louder. Her stomach lurched. The shadows around her vision closed in. Her knees buckled. She felt a pressure on her arm.

_Don't fight…let go...just let go… _

A heavy blackness enveloped her and there was no more conscious thought.

* * *

><p><em>Cold. Cold and wet.<em>

The first thing Elizabeth could think was that her head was cold and wet, water had run down into her ears.

_I'm lying down. I'm cold and wet. And I'm lying down._

More and more her brain began to function again. She couldn't figure out why she was lying down. The last thing she remembered was walking with Ammon Eyad back to his shop and how bad her body was feeling in the heat.

_The heat. That has to be it. The heat must have gotten to me._ Reaching up to her forehead, she pulled off a damp towel. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself in a darkened room surrounded by books. Pushing herself up onto her elbows, she saw that the room was small filled with books and the small cot she was lying in. Next to the cot was a small table, a glass of water and a small bowl with food were waiting for her. She pushed herself fully upright; her head gave a spin forcing her to lean forward and dig the heels of her hands onto her brow. Slowly, she tossed the towel on the table and grabbed the glass. After taking a sip of the cool water, she could feel her body to relax. Reaching for the bowl, she could see it was filled with a mix of nuts and dried fruit.

Elizabeth decided to take a moment to regain her bearings with the food and water. Leaning back on the wall, she took in her surroundings. It looked like a storage room, each shelf filled with old-fashioned books, with a window covered by a thin curtain that filtered the bright light. The room had a musty, old smell to it. She didn't feel like she was in some prefab, more like an old style house found on Earth. Outside the room, she could hear music and the muffled sounds of conversation.

Feeling somewhat recovered, Elizabeth placed the glass and bowl back on the table and scooched to the edge of the cot to put her boots back on. Slowly she stood up, taking care to make sure she wasn't going to black-out again. When she was sure she was going to be fine, she made her way to the door. There was a soft click of the handle when she turned it. Stepping through the threshold, she was met with the sight of even more books. Her Grandpa Joe had a small collection of old-fashion books and she had spent some time reading out of them. They struck her as odd; with as simplistic of a life as Mindoir was, everyone used datapads for their reading needs.

Further in, Ammon Eyad sat at a counter speaking with someone on a terminal. He turned and gave a slight nod of his head to acknowledge her presence. Elizabeth didn't want to be nosey, so she busied herself with reading some of the titles of the books.

After a few moments, Ammon clicked off his terminal, "How are you feeling?"

"Better, thank you for helping me."

"It was the least I could do to repay you for your assistance."

Elizabeth shrugged, "It was the right thing to do." Pulling one of the books off the shelf, "So, your shop is a bookstore?"

"Of course. Welcome to the Libri del Sapere." She gave him a confused look, "Books of Knowledge. Here, the books are untouched in their natural form."

"That's...eccentric." she puzzled.

Ammon chuckled, "I suppose it is. Would you like some tea?"

"Sure." She returned the book to its place and walked towards the counter.

There, he already had two cups ready for his prepared tea. She took a seat at the stool opposite of him. He poured her a cup, flavoring it honey and a splash of milk, then placed it in front of her. Elizabeth had never been much of a tea drinker, preferring the high amount of caffeine in coffee to keep her going during her nighttime duties. After Ammon had finished preparing his own cup, she took a sip of her own. The taste was unexpected, not as harsh as her coffee. They spent a few moments sitting quietly. She was surprised at how comfortable she felt, silence with other people had always bothered her.

"Might I ask," she jerked her head towards him, not expecting him to begin talking, "where you are from?"

"I just came from Arcturus, but I'm originally from a small colony."

"One would think that work would be easier to find work on such a large space station."

His voice hinted that he knew it more than just finding work. "You would think that, but my skills are better suited for farm life. Not many farms on Arcturus." She hoped that would satisfy him.

"What about your colony?"

Elizabeth looked into he tea, "Gone."

"Hmm, I see." He took a sip of his tea, "I am sorry to hear that."

She could only nod. She didn't like the uncomfortable moment that had arisen, it only allowed her to think about Mindoir. "So, a bookstore seems out of place around here."

"You would be surprised how well a bookstore does in a place where the desert sands wreak havoc on electronic devices. Paper is much simpler. And the books themselves hold a wealth of knowledge in them. They open the mind and the soul, they keep us questioning and wanting more."

"More what?" she asked.

"Knowledge. Once we stop looking for knowledge we become stagnate. Sadly, most do not search for knowledge but instead simply follow what others believe."

Elizabeth smiled, " 'Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.' " She watched Ammon lean back in surprise.

"You recite that as if it was spoken to you many times." she could hear in his voice that he was impressed.

"My Grandpa Joe would quote that to me all the time when I asked him questions about…anything. Most times it was after he would tell me an exaggeration and force me to continue searching for answers. Only after I would finish my own research would I know what he meant."

"Your grandfather sounds like a wise man."

"He was. I hope I do him proud." Sadness struck Elizabeth again. She gulped the last of her tea. "I should probably be going to that inn. I have a transport to catch in the morning."

"To Muryama." She could hear the disapproval in his voice, "That is a dangerous place, not a place a woman so young should be going."

Elizabeth sighed, "It's my last chance. I was told I would find what I needed there." Her eyes went wide, she hadn't meant to reveal that to a total stranger.

"What is it that you feel you need?"

"I...I need, "she took a deep breath trying to find the words, trying to avoid the real reason. He had thrown her off guard but he also put her at ease. "I need to save myself…from me. If I don't do this, I'll stay lost and find myself in the wrong place."

"What would be the wrong place?"

She thought for a moment, "Revenge."

She felt him study her, as if he was processing what she had just said. His body relaxed somewhat, "The inn is two buildings down. I have already informed them that you would be arriving and have taken care of your balance." She opened her mouth to speak and he raised his hand to quiet her, "As I said, I wished to repay you for your aid."

"Thank you."

"Sleep well, Elizabeth Shepard. I look forward to our next meeting."

Elizabeth cocked an eyebrow and almost asked what he meant, but it was late.

"Good night." With that, she turned and left.

Stepping off the transport, the first thing Elizabeth noticed was the heat as it as blew all around her. Not a drop of moisture in the air, she felt her lips begin to itch from the heat as they dried. The sun was intensely bright and she held up a hand to shade her eyes. This was definitely not what she was used to.

_I'm not on Mindoir anymore_. She thought while looking around. The port of Chuoshi was extremely busy with people departing from the ship and others retrieving the cargo from the hold. The light from the sun blared down on the area and she could see most people were wearing sunglasses and protective clothing to shield themselves from the sun and dust. The clothes, she noticed, were loose and light in color like something she had seen on the old vids about the Middle East on Earth. She stood out, dressed in her blue plaid shirt and brown pants. "I'm a damned cowboy in the middle of Lawrence of Arabia, all I'm missing is my hat." She muttered to herself while wishing she had her wide-brimmed hat.

Elizabeth was shooed away from the landing zone by one of the port security guards, he looked annoyed. Guess he didn't like people loitering about. She moved further away from the landing area and made her way towards the town itself.

* * *

><p>Elizabeth stopped for a moment so she could put her hair up in her bandana. The heat was starting to get to her; she felt her face flush with the rise in her own body temperature and the heat from the ground was passing up right the soles of her shoes. She was looking for a place to rest and stay for the night seeing as how her transport for Muryama didn't leave till early the next morning. She was dead tired too. The problem with intergalactic travel, she discovered, was each planet had its own rotation and her body was telling her it was well past her bedtime. Unfortunately, it was only midafternoon on Intai'sei.<p>

Shifting her duffel bag on her shoulder she pressed forward in the direction of the main square, figuring that's where she would find an inn. Most of the buildings in Chuoshi were prefabs with some adaptations to make them look less artificial. Many of the buildings had been covered in mud to keep out the heat which gave them an adobo look. Thinking about how cool the buildings must be made her feel even hotter. Elizabeth picked up her pace, there had to be an inn somewhere nearby.

As she walked through the streets looking at each of the signs, Elizabeth never noticed that someone was following her. Not until that "someone" ran into her. She tumbled to the ground as she was body checked and felt the strap of her duffel bag leave her shoulder. After a moment's disorientation, she realized that the strap hadn't fallen off but that the "someone" turned out to be a thief and had grabbed her bag. The thief was quickly expanding the distance between himself and her.

Elizabeth didn't bother to shout for help, she had gotten into enough troublesome situations back at home that she considered herself an expert at making a run for it. She launched herself forward after the thief, not wanting to lose him to the winding streets. Her feet pounded the ground and her arms pumped the air as she gained ground on him. She was lucky that there weren't too many people out at the moment and that she didn't have to waste energy dodging them. The thief turned sharply down an alleyway, vaulting over a crate that was in his way. Elizabeth easily made the same leap and lost no time chasing him. She kept pace with him; through the twists and turns, the many obstacles in the way, and the people going about their business.

However, she was not used to the arid environment and it was taking its toll on her. Her lungs were hurting as she sucked in the hot air, each breath stinging her insides; her skin felt like it was on fire; her clothes clung to her sweat drenched body. She wasn't sure how much longer she could chase him but she wasn't about to let him go. And even with his home field advantage, she was able to keep up with him.

That was until he was no longer staying on the streets. She watched as he launched himself up onto crates, up the wall and onto a beam. He started running along the beams going across the buildings and over the streets.

_Fuck! _She thought to herself, still weaving around people on the street. She saw him disappear on the roof of one of the buildings. Maneuvering in the direction she thought he was heading in, she passed through the alleys around while keeping an eye above her. Occasionally, she saw glimpses of him as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop. She tried to anticipate his movements, hoping that every turn she made was the right one. As she ran down one of the alleys, she contemplated going up a fire escape on the side of one of the buildings. Afraid of losing ground climbing up the ladder, she continued the chase on the ground.

She came out of the alley into a market square filled with people and goods. Elizabeth stopped and scanned the area, the thief was nowhere to be seen. He was not getting away from her, she was not going to be some greenhorn who lost her bag the first day off the boat. This was not going to happen.

Swift movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention and she saw the thief making his way across the market square. A jolt shot through Elizabeth's body and she bolted in his direction. He must have sensed she was coming as he turned quickly and ran. The crowd was slowing him down, giving Elizabeth an advantage and allowing her to gain ground.

_Almost, almost, almost_, her mind chanted. She was going to reach him; she was going to catch him.

The thief suddenly whirled around an old man, grabbed his tunic and threw him to the ground. The old man hit hard and Elizabeth had to leap over him to avoid running into him. Sliding to a stop, Elizabeth looked down at the old man who seemed hurt. Looking from the man to the thief and back again, her mind ran through the options she had before her. There were other people around who could help though no one looked like they were making a move. She was also feeling responsible for the old man, it was her fault in a way that he was hurt. Looking once more in the direction the thief was heading, she watched as his form grew smaller as the distance between them increased.

Turning back to the old man, she kneeled down next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" she asked.

The man grimaced as he rolled himself into a seated position, "Yes, I do believe so. Though, I am unsure as to what happened."

"You were knocked down by some guy running through here." She activated her omni-tool's basic first aid scanner and checked for any major injuries. "Looks like nothing serious, maybe a sprained wrist."

"Most likely my arthritis." He took the hand Elizabeth offered and she helped him up, "Thank you, my friend."

She bent down, picked up the bag he had been carrying and heard the sound of glass clanking together, "I'm sorry to say, it sounds like something's broken."

The old man took the bag from her and looked inside. "Oh," he groaned dejectedly, "That is unfortunate." He closed the bag back up and looked down at Elizabeth. "Thank you again for your assistance, is there anyway I could repay you?"

She sighed, so far her attempts at a new life were failing. Her duffle was now a lost cause along with all her clothes and a few personal items…the last remnants of her life on Mindoir. Fortunately she made sure her credit chit was on her person and not in her bag, so not a complete loss. "It's okay, just directing me to the nearest inn would suffice."

"An inn? There is one near my shop. Follow me, I will take you there." He gestured with his hand in the direction she supposed his store was.

Not one to be rude, she nodded. "Okay, thanks." She followed him as he lead the way.

* * *

><p>"So, what is your name young one?" His speech struck her as so formal, like something out of an old black and white vid.<p>

"Elizabeth Shepard." She looked at him from the corner of her eye. He towered over her, she figured he was over six feet tall. There was something else though, his height wasn't what was making him imposing. There was something else. Like the others, he was dressed in light, loose tunic with darker pants. He also wore a hood over his head, shielding his eyes from the sun. Once again, she wished for her wide brimmed hat.

"Ammon Eyad, a pleasure to meet you Elizabeth." Looking down at her, she felt like he was sizing her up, "How is it you have come by Chuoshi dressed as you are? You stand out a bit from the crowd."

She looked down at her clothes, "I just got here today, I'm heading up to Muryama tomorrow morning."

"Muryama? Hmm…" She felt his eyes boring into her, "They say things about the mountain city. Shady characters are said to be found there."

Elizabeth tried to play it off with a shrug, "I have a friend there who said he can find me work. Nothing shady about that."

He regarded her for a moment more, long enough to make her uncomfortable. Finally, she felt his eyes move away from her, "Perhaps you are right."

They fell silent for the rest of the trip. Elizabeth was bothered by the silence, it was forcing her to think about her choices without distraction. What was it specifically that made the place "shady?" Maybe Hackett was wrong about this group, maybe she should take what money she had left and take the next transport off the planet. She shook her head, she had come too far to turn back now.

As they walked, Elizabeth felt the heat more intensely, more so thanks to the chase earlier. She knew she hadn't given her body a chance to recover and really needed to rest in a cool, shady place. Her head began to hurt, her stomach was feeling upset and she was seeing sparks in her vision.

"How much further?" She breathed slowly to try and calm her stomach.

"Not much, we will reach my shop shortly."

All she could do was nod. With each step, her feet felt more and more like lead weights till she was nearly dragging them on the ground. The white light from the sun was causing the pain in her head to intensify while shadows crept at the edges of her vision. A buzzing started to fill her ears, drowning out the sounds around her. She thought she heard a voice next to her but it was muffled by the buzz as it got louder. Her stomach lurched. The shadows around her vision closed in. Her knees buckled. She felt a pressure on her arm.

_Don't fight…let go...just let go… _

A heavy blackness enveloped her and there was no more conscious thought.

* * *

><p><em>Cold. Cold and wet.<em>

The first thing Elizabeth could think was that her head was cold and wet, water had run down into her ears.

_I'm lying down. I'm cold and wet. And I'm lying down._

More and more her brain began to function again. She couldn't figure out why she was lying down. The last thing she remembered was walking with Ammon Eyad back to his shop and how bad her body was feeling in the heat.

_The heat. That has to be it. The heat must have gotten to me._ Reaching up to her forehead, she pulled off a damp towel. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself in a darkened room surrounded by books. Pushing herself up onto her elbows, she saw that the room was small filled with books and the small cot she was lying in. Next to the cot was a small table, a glass of water and a small bowl with food were waiting for her. She pushed herself fully upright; her head gave a spin forcing her to lean forward and dig the heels of her hands onto her brow. Slowly, she tossed the towel on the table and grabbed the glass. After taking a sip of the cool water, she could feel her body to relax. Reaching for the bowl, she could see it was filled with a mix of nuts and dried fruit.

Elizabeth decided to take a moment to regain her bearings with the food and water. Leaning back on the wall, she took in her surroundings. It looked like a storage room, each shelf filled with old-fashioned books, with a window covered by a thin curtain that filtered the bright light. The room had a musty, old smell to it. She didn't feel like she was in some prefab, more like an old style house found on Earth. Outside the room, she could hear music and the muffled sounds of conversation.

Feeling somewhat recovered, Elizabeth placed the glass and bowl back on the table and scooched to the edge of the cot to put her boots back on. Slowly she stood up, taking care to make sure she wasn't going to black-out again. When she was sure she was going to be fine, she made her way to the door. There was a soft click of the handle when she turned it. Stepping through the threshold, she was met with the sight of even more books. Her Grandpa Joe had a small collection of old-fashion books and she had spent some time reading out of them. They struck her as odd; with as simplistic of a life as Mindoir was, everyone used datapads for their reading needs.

Further in, Ammon Eyad sat at a counter speaking with someone on a terminal. He turned and gave a slight nod of his head to acknowledge her presence. Elizabeth didn't want to be nosey, so she busied herself with reading some of the titles of the books.

After a few moments, Ammon clicked off his terminal, "How are you feeling?"

"Better, thank you for helping me."

"It was the least I could do to repay you for your assistance."

Elizabeth shrugged, "It was the right thing to do." Pulling one of the books off the shelf, "So, your shop is a bookstore?"

"Of course. Welcome to the Libri del Sapere." She gave him a confused look, "Books of Knowledge. Here, the books are untouched in their natural form."

"That's...eccentric." she puzzled.

Ammon chuckled, "I suppose it is. Would you like some tea?"

"Sure." She returned the book to its place and walked towards the counter.

There, he already had two cups ready for his prepared tea. She took a seat at the stool opposite of him. He poured her a cup, flavoring it honey and a splash of milk, then placed it in front of her. Elizabeth had never been much of a tea drinker, preferring the high amount of caffeine in coffee to keep her going during her nighttime duties. After Ammon had finished preparing his own cup, she took a sip of her own. The taste was unexpected, not as harsh as her coffee. They spent a few moments sitting quietly. She was surprised at how comfortable she felt, silence with other people had always bothered her.

"Might I ask," she jerked her head towards him, not expecting him to begin talking, "where you are from?"

"I just came from Arcturus, but I'm originally from a small colony."

"One would think that work would be easier to find work on such a large space station."

His voice hinted that he knew it more than just finding work. "You would think that, but my skills are better suited for farm life. Not many farms on Arcturus." She hoped that would satisfy him.

"What about your colony?"

Elizabeth looked into he tea, "Gone."

"Hmm, I see." He took a sip of his tea, "I am sorry to hear that."

She could only nod. She didn't like the uncomfortable moment that had arisen, it only allowed her to think about Mindoir. "So, a bookstore seems out of place around here."

"You would be surprised how well a bookstore does in a place where the desert sands wreak havoc on electronic devices. Paper is much simpler. And the books themselves hold a wealth of knowledge in them. They open the mind and the soul, they keep us questioning and wanting more."

"More what?" she asked.

"Knowledge. Once we stop looking for knowledge we become stagnate. Sadly, most do not search for knowledge but instead simply follow what others believe."

Elizabeth smiled, " 'Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.' " She watched Ammon lean back in surprise.

"You recite that as if it was spoken to you many times." she could hear in his voice that he was impressed.

"My Grandpa Joe would quote that to me all the time when I asked him questions about…anything. Most times it was after he would tell me an exaggeration and force me to continue searching for answers. Only after I would finish my own research would I know what he meant."

"Your grandfather sounds like a wise man."

"He was. I hope I do him proud." Sadness struck Elizabeth again. She gulped the last of her tea. "I should probably be going to that inn. I have a transport to catch in the morning."

"To Muryama." She could hear the disapproval in his voice, "That is a dangerous place, not a place a woman so young should be going."

Elizabeth sighed, "It's my last chance. I was told I would find what I needed there." Her eyes went wide, she hadn't meant to reveal that to a total stranger.

"What is it that you feel you need?"

"I...I need, "she took a deep breath trying to find the words, trying to avoid the real reason. He had thrown her off guard but he also put her at ease. "I need to save myself…from me. If I don't do this, I'll stay lost and find myself in the wrong place."

"What would be the wrong place?"

She thought for a moment, "Revenge."

She felt him study her, as if he was processing what she had just said. His body relaxed somewhat, "The inn is two buildings down. I have already informed them that you would be arriving and have taken care of your balance." She opened her mouth to speak and he raised his hand to quiet her, "As I said, I wished to repay you for your aid."

"Thank you."

"Sleep well, Elizabeth Shepard. I look forward to our next meeting."

Elizabeth cocked an eyebrow and almost asked what he meant, but it was late.

"Good night." With that, she turned and left.


	3. Down the Rabbit Hole

**Author's Note: Sorry this took so long. Spent some time organizing my ideas for future chapters so that I don't have conflicts as the story progresses. Also, Arkham City came out for PC :-P**

**I also reread my material constantly and often make little fixes, mostly grammar and spelling. Occasionally, I'll make other changes. Not highly significant, just little tweaks here and there. Also, there will be no references to AC:Revelations since I haven't played it yet and won't until after Arkham City.  
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**Thanks for all the comments, I appreciate every single one. Seems some people are on to me when it comes to my inspirations for the story. **

* * *

><p>Elizabeth watched out the window of the maglev as the desert blurred by. She was able to see the morning sun rise over the horizon from the train as they passed by Thoreau Mesa, Intai'sei's capitol city situated high on a plateau. It glittered a bright silver in the sun; the sparkling jewel of the desert. She also thought she saw a smattering of green, probably the only non-desert plant life found. The city was entirely prefab with none of the buildings smeared with mud as she had seen in Chuoshi, the residents kept it well maintained. There, a small contingency of Alliance officers, the company investors, and the government of Intai'sei resided. It was also the communications hub of the planet, connecting each of the research stations with the satellites that orbited the planet and relayed information back to the companies interested in the data. From the brief look she got, it looked more like a giant satellite dish than a city. Though city was a bit of a stretch. In reality, it housed just under a hundred people with the majority of the population scattered across the sands where research stations and wind-farms were manned.<p>

Still, it looked beautiful.

The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful. The light from the sun continued to bounce off the sands making them appear to glow. The shadows from the desert plants stretched out like black vines, weaving around each other, reaching for the maglev.

Elizabeth watched it all. She had never seen a desert before, living her entire childhood in a forest at the foothills of a mountain range on Mindoir. Then living on Arcturus, with all its grey steel and colored lights. She wasn't sure what to think of the desert. It had plant life but it wasn't green like she would've expected. There was no lushness to it but it had a life of its own. The winds swirled the sands around, shifting colors from golden yellow to dark red. The sun illuminated it all. She was fascinated. This was to be her new home...if she was accepted that is.

She understood there were going to be tests when she got to Muryama, that's what the message on the OSD had indicated. They weren't going to just accept her outright based on Hackett's recommendation. She would have to earn it. Leaning back and closing her eyes, she wondering what types of tests she would have to take. The N7 testing had been a breeze, relying on her skills developed on Mindoir and then the intense training she put herself through. This was different, she had no idea what to expect. That made her nervous.

Elizabeth could feel the maglev begin to slow down. Outside the window, large wind turbines created an unnatural forest in the desert. They were almost there.

* * *

><p>The city of Muryama was nestled in the Northern Mountains. Elizabeth found it to be noticeably cooler than Chuoshi, though the difference was like standing in the shade instead of the sun. It was still blazing hot. She took a seat next to the transport station to wait for her contact. It gave her time to take in the scene.<p>

Muryama was smaller than Chuoshi, the buildings were further apart from each other and there seemed to be fewer people. Solar powered land vehicles with large wheels made their way along roads that lead towards the mountains. There, she knew, were geologic research stations where scientists did their work. Most of the buildings were made from stone the same color as the mountains with only a handful of prefabs. She figured there must be a quarry nearby to build all of them. Observing the residence of Muryama, she noticed that the clothing was light and loose, covering from head to toe to protect them from the sun. Most also had hoods on, something different from those in Chuoshi.

_I bet that they don't even feel the heat._ She mused, wondering where she could get her hands on the same type of garments.

It wasn't long before she was joined by a gentleman who sat next to her on the bench. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. He was dressed in an all-white tunic, a hood covered his head and a red belt lined his waste. She spied a pistol on his hip and she could see something hidden within his belled sleeves. Elizabeth could tell that he was looking at her as well. Was this her contact?

Several uncomfortable moments passed. Elizabeth chewed a little at her lip, trying to figure out what to say. Something to break the ice.

"Elizabeth Shepard." he said. It wasn't a question, he knew who she was. This was most definitely her contact.

"Yes?"

He stood quickly, "Follow me," and off he went towards the city.

It took a moment for her to register what was happening and she found herself being left behind. Jumping up and jogging after him, she caught up and tried to keep up with his long strides.

"Where are we going?"

"Just follow. Everything will be explained when we get there."

Elizabeth opened her mouth then closed it right back up, deciding not to push the issue and do as she was told. The walk wasn't long, they made their way to a land car. In the car the driver was waiting, he was dressed the same as the contact. She hopped into the back of the open roof car while her contact took the passenger seat.

* * *

><p>The ride was long and bumpy. They moved up the mountain, hugging the walls away from the edge that dropped off into the valley below. Elizabeth was gripping the chair so hard her knuckles were ghost white, afraid that the car would slip off the edge and descend to her death. They winded their way further up the mountain.<p>

After an hour of traveling, Elizabeth could see the front of a prefab research station buried into the mountainside. The car stopped right in front, allowing Elizabeth and her contact to step out. She watched as the driver continued down the road past the station and disappeared around the bend. Her contact waited for her at the entrance to the research station. She could feel a hum of electricity, probably the energy coming from the wind farms to power the place.

"This is it? What is this place?"

"Geologic research station. This, however, is not our final destination. We must continue." The tone of his voice indicated he was not up for conversation.

She walked up to the entrance and her contact keyed in a code and a hand scan at the security terminal. The door opened and they stepped through to a small decomp room, a glass door separating them from the rest of the building with a security guard sitting on the other side. The door closed behind them and she heard the air hiss as the door vacuum sealed. Another security terminal and a hand scanner.

Then the unexpected. Instead of the door opening, the floor began descending. Elizabeth jumped and watched as the walls passed by, solid stone carved right out of the mountain. The elevator picked up speed as it went down and her ears began to pop. She began to breathe quickly as sudden claustrophobia hit her in the chest. She wasn't normally afraid of small spaces but the realization that she was going deep inside a mountain supported by who-knows-what started a fear she never knew she had before. She fought the rising panic building up, closing her eyes and humming a lullaby her mother used to sing to her.

The decent went on for several stories, she figured it was the distance of a high-rise building.

_Down the rabbit hole, Alice_. She thought to herself.

Just as she was wondering how much further the elevator would go, they slowed down to a cushioned stop. The doors opened revealing a short corridor carved directly out of the mountain with two guards dressed exactly like her contact standing at the far end flanking the round door.

Her contact pressed his hand against the hand scanner at the center of the door and they passed through the entrance.

Elizabeth stopped dead in her tracks. Before her was the most amazing sight she had ever seen. The door opened into a grand hall with the ceiling reaching three stories tall. Intricately designed pillars carved in single, solid pieces rose up to the vaulted ceiling. The floor was polished and reflected the light back throughout the room. Red banners with a gold symbol hung all around the room, the same symbol was imbedded on the floor and carved into the far wall over a small stage. Stairwells were on either side, leading up to the upper floor walkways which were opened up to the hall giving anyone a grand view of the entire room from the second and third floor. The entire room had a soft, golden glow as if it were lit by candlelight but there were no candle. There were people everywhere, all dressed in white with splashes of red but each outfit was unique. The room echoed with the sounds of conversation.

"Shepard!" her contact called to her, snapping her out of her semi-hypnotic state. She ran to catch up to him, following him to a round door parallel to the stage. The door opened and they stepped into a small reception room. The room was darkly lit and when the door shut, the sounds of the hall were silenced. On either side of the room, a desk manned by what she could only describe as receptionists. On the opposite wall, another round door flanked by more guards.

"Through there," her contact gestured to the door, "the Mentor is waiting." He gave a slight bow and exited through the door back into the hall.

Elizabeth sighed and tried to make herself stand straighter to gain an air of confidence. Looking at the guards, she knew she wasn't fooling anyone. She palmed the door lock and walked through when it opened.

Inside was a large office, a soft glow emanated from a fireplace on the left wall. _Where does the smoke go? _She thought to herself. A large, dark wood desk was across from here. Behind it, an older gentleman stood wearing the same type of hooded tunic, with the hood down, as the others she had seen except for his was black with white and red trim. She knew he was older, with his grey hair and beard, but she just couldn't pinpoint his age.

His attention was pulled from the data pad in his hand as she walked in. "Welcome, Shepard. Please, have a seat." He gestured to the chairs in front of the desk and returned to reading the data pad.

She sat in one of the high back wood chairs. She glanced around the room, not sure what she was looking for but it gave her something to do since her nerves were firing off due to nervous energy. The Mentor, her contact had called him, continued to read his data pad. The silence was becoming unbearably uncomfortable and she was beginning to get fidgety.

Finally, the Mentor sat down across from her and placed the data pad down. He laced his fingers together and looked straight at her, capturing her eyes with his intense gaze.

"You have a very interesting history, Shepard." Warning bells rang in her ear, this was not a good start. "A history that would make one worried about your mental state."

Elizabeth could feel the heat rising in her blood. He began to read the information on the data pad, "Lost your family when you were sixteen. Your profle says you were very close to your grandfather. That you even found his body the day of the attack." He looked at her, seeming for a reaction. She wasn't going to give him one. Not on her face anyway, she gripped the chair as hard as she could. "His...and your brother's." Her nostrils flaired, "According to this report, you held off the Alliance rescuers as if they were batarians themselves. Keeping them at bay while you held him. Doesn't sound like you were of sound mind."

He was sounding exactly like the damned shrink who kept her from joining the N7s. Her anger was starting to boil over. What was the point of all this? "The question is: How much of the damage has been fixed? The trauma of losing ones family, losing ones entire life, would drive anyone to instability." Elizabeth clenched her teeth, trying to keep the anger at bay, "Especially considering how close you were to your little brother Finn..."

"I am not unstable!" The anger had steadily been rising in her chest until she could no longer hold it in. In a much calmer, sadder voice, "I wish everyone would stop calling me that. Yes, I lost my family. Yes, I couldn't protect Finn. Yes, I hate the batarians who attacked and killed everyone I cared about. But, that doesn't mean I'm going to go on some roaring rampage of revenge. I just want...I want…" Words were suddenly lost to her. A weight hit her shoulders and threatened crush her. She just wished someone would believe her.

Silence permeated the room. She blew it, she had nothing left. Her last chance was gone. She looked down at her hands, adrift in the galaxy once more.

"To find and preserve the peace in all things is paramount to us. This is especially true in ourselves." She lifted her eyes back up to meet his. "Peace, Shepard. Perhaps you will find it here."

"So, you want me to stay?" She was very confused, what was going on?

"As I said, I was looking over your history. I feel with direction and focus, you will excel at any challenge we present to you."

Elizabeth slowly nodded. "So, what do I do?"

"Train. Roughly two months as a Recluta that ends with a test. After that, we'll see if this place is where you belong."

Her mind began to run through everything. They were giving her a chance, to train her to become…

"What am I training for?" The question had been forgotten up to this point, everything had happened so quickly that she hadn't had time to really process anything.

"To be part of our order, the Brotherhood of Assassins."

Elizabeth's eyes grew wide, "Assassins?" What had Captain Hackett gotten her into? This seemed almost worse than mercs. At least with them you understood their motivations.

"I understand your concern. Rest assured, we do not randomly kill for the highest bidder. We follow a strict set of values that govern our way of life. You will see, if you choose to."

He was giving her a way out: she could leave now and find a different path on her own or stay and see what this...order...was about. "I'll stay, what do I have to lose?" _My soul,_ she thought.

"Good. Hotaru!" Elizabeth jumped as one of the Assassins stepped out of a dark corner. She never knew he was there, was that something they learned? "This is Hotaru Goto, he will escort you to your quarters. He will also be one of your instructors."

She looked up at Hotaru, "Will you teach me how to sneak around like that?"

From behind the shadow of his hood, she could see him smile, "That and many other tricks."

"Good," the Mentor said, "Then, Recluta Shepard, I will leave you in his capable hands."

With that, she knew she was dismissed. She got up out of her seat and stood next to Hotaru. "If you would follow me." Nodding, she fell into step behind him.

He led her back through the grand hall to the stairwell. "I will be taking you your shared quarters. You will be housed with the other Recluta and train with them. Get what rest you can now Shepard, you will begin early tomorrow morning." They wound through various corridors, so many that Elizabeth was completely lost. She concentrated on just listening to what he was saying, the first person in this place who was actually telling her something. "Any questions."

"Lots." she heard him chuckle, "And I have no idea where to begin."

"Perhaps you should wait then, as I'm sure most of your questions will be answered in time."

Sounded reasonable. They walked a little further until they stopped in front of a door. She noticed that most of the doors in this place were the old style, manual doors with a handle for opening. Only a few were automatic. He opened the door and allowed her to pass through first.

"This is the quarters you will be sharing with the other Recluta. Hope you don't mind sharing with six others."

She scanned the room, noting that most of the eight beds were claimed. "I don't mind, had to share a large dorm room with others in the group home on Arcturus." Something caught her eye on one of the far beds. On the bed, was a duffel bag that looked oddly familiar. She approached the bed for a closer look. "This looks like…"

"I was quite impressed with your running skills." Elizabeth quickly turned around to face him, eyes growing wide, "Some of the best I've ever seen for someone untrained. I look forward to honing that particular skill."

Her mouth hung open, "You...you were the one in Chuoshi."

Hotaru gave a bow, "Sleep well Shepard, you'll need it." He said with a slight grin. Stepping back, he closed the door behind him.

She sat on the bed, next to her duffel. Her mind felt numb from everything. Roughly forty-eight hours ago, her life as she had planned it had fallen apart. Now, she was starting something new, different...unexpected.

The sound of the door clicking drew her attention, her new roommates were back.


	4. Salvation for the Lost

Elizabeth was the first through the door into the dorm-like room she shared with the other Recluta. She staggered to her small bed and collapsed onto her stomach with a grunt. Behind her, the other six followed suit. DeLuca flopped down on her bed which was next to Elizabeth's and let out a sigh. Groans and moans could be heard from all the others. Each of them had been recruited and arrived within the same three day time period. Elizabeth had been the last one to show up, just a few hours after Gonzales whose bed was opposite of hers.

They had been at it for two days and each of them were bruised and broken. The training had been vigorous and it was _painfully_ obvious that the Assassins were not holding back. They had spent the previous day and all that morning practicing something they had called freerunning. Elizabeth had done somewhat well with it. At least until she had slipped off a wall and landed on a beam, bruising the entire right side of her chest and possibly her ribs. The throbbing on her side was becoming more intense, laying on her stomach was a bad idea. With all the energy she could muster, she rolled herself over onto her back and relieving some of the pain. A very loud sigh escaped her and she allowed her mind to start to sink into darkness, vaguely aware of the voices of the others in the room.

"I heard tomorrow we move on to hand-to-hand." Evans stated, his tone indicating he was responding to a question.

"Think they'll let us heal first?" DeLuca, her voice had an edge of pain to it.

"Doubtful. Think they're trying to break us." Roden's deep voice from across the room.

"Physically or mentally?" Evans' voice dripped with dark amusement.

Roden chuckled, "Both."

"I really didn't think it was that bad today." Byrd's high voice piped up, her young age very evident in the sound.

"Tell that to Shepard." A slight tone of sympathy in DeLuca's voice.

"How're the ribs Shep?" More amusement from Evans.

Elizabeth for her part gave a dismissive groan and wave which elicited a round of small chuckles from the group.

Her mind was being blanked by the warmth found in exhaustion and she was embracing it wholeheartedly. Maybe, if luck was on her side, she'd get a few winks in before lunch and the next round of training. She liked exhaustion; an exhausted mind kept the dreams at bay. The dreams were always the same. Dreams of fire and smoke, screams of fear and horror, blood and pain. The smell of burnt flesh was the worst, those not taken were culled with fire. Drifting on the edges of sleep, her thoughts betrayed her. Simply thinking about how the dreams may not come brought them on anyway. Her body paralyzed by sleep, she could do nothing to stop the images from drifting into her mind's eye. The sounds started as a dull whisper and were growing steadily. The weight on her chest labored her breathing as she was becoming overwhelmed by the memories. Faces of those she lost were all around her calling her name.

_Please stop, leave me alone!_

"Shepard!" Elizabeth gasped as she was ripped away from the dream. It took a moment for her eyes to clear and the faces of Roden and Byrd to become recognizable. Roden had his hand on her shoulder, his light blue eyes held a look of concern.

"Are you okay?" Byrd had taken a seat next to her, genuine worry etched on her dark features.

Elizabeth's mouth felt dry and she could feel the sweat that had accumulated on her face. Bracing her elbows on the bed, she started to sit up. Roden offered her a hand which she took, "Yeah, I'm fine." Roden helped pull her up to a sitting position, she grunted as pain shot from her side. Looking around, she could see the only other person was Shu who was sitting on his bed, nose deep in his omni-tool. "Where are the others?"

"Lunch, they weren't up for waiting." Roden continued to hold her hand, allowing her to stand completely. The pain in her side was hindering her ability to move and she was grateful for the help.

She let go of Roden's hand. "Thanks." He gave her a small, lopsided smile in return. "Guess we better get going ourselves."

Byrd popped up off the bed and rounded to the other side heading for the door, Roden and Elizabeth followed closely behind. As they reached the door, Elizabeth stopped, "You coming Shu?"

Shu looked up from his omni-tool. He furrowed his brow, contemplating the invitation. Elizabeth found him to be a naturally quiet person, his nose always in his omni-tool. His features softened and he clicked off his omni-tool, "Sure, I could eat." Elizabeth smiled, pleased that he was going to join them.

The entire group made their way through the maze of corridors to the large dining hall. As they entered, Elizabeth felt eyes on her and the group. They stood out like sore thumbs. It was obvious who the Recluta were, they didn't even have the "honor" to wear the white hooded tunics but instead wore black tees and dark grey slacks. She knew they had no respect, not until they proved themselves. Ignoring the Assassins, the group grabbed their trays of food and found the table the others were sitting at.

"Hey Shep! Glad to see you're not dead." Evans piped up as they approached.

"Don't call me Shep." Her reply was instant, Evans had taken to calling her by the irritating nickname.

"Gonzales was just about to regale us with tales of his life on Omega." DeLuca said. She was leaning closely towards Gonzales.

"What's Omega?" Byrd asked, always with genuine interest.

Gonzales sighed, he seemed reluctant to say anything about it but somehow had it dragged out of him. "A shithole station in the Terminus Systems."

"The Terminus?" Elizabeth had heard stories of the Terminus, all that seemed true after the attack on her home. Mindoir was near the border between the Terminus and Traverse, close enough that the raiding party had seen it as the perfect target. "Why the hell were you out there?"

Gonzales shrugged. "My mother dragged me out there when I was really young. She died before I was old enough to think about asking."

"What did you do?" Roden leaned in.

"I was eight when she died, after that I ran the streets and ducts. Omega really has no authority, merc bands control various parts with some asari controlling the strongest group. Kids like me were often paid to run small jobs for the mercs. Unfortunately it made us a target by rival groups, our mortality rate was high. I lost a lot of friends." A distant look overcame his eyes, remembering the friends he lost. Elizabeth could relate, flashes of her own friends lost came to mind. Visibly shaking his head, as if shaking the memories to the side, he continued, "As I got older, the mercs found other uses for me. They paid me to fight. Little brawls here and there with kids twice my size. This," He pointed to a long scar that ran from his hairline down to his jaw on the right side of his face, "was from a kid who put my head through a window."

Byrd gasped. Elizabeth silently thanked Evans that he kept his snide comments to himself. The voices of the Assassins in the room were tuned out as every member of the Recluta focused completely on Gonzales.

"After that, I worked harder. Made it my goal to not just survive the fights, but to win them. I got a small percentage of the winnings, I was going to use it to get the hell off Omega."

"How old were you when you started fighting?" Elizabeth jumped at the sound of Roden's voice.

"Ten. Six years of fighting left me with more than just this one scar. But it helped me grow bigger and stronger, something I needed on Omega." A dark look came over his face, "The mercs had other ideas. There was this one group, the Blue Suns. They...owned me, so to speak. I was making them money. They wanted more, tried to force me into joining their group. I refused. After that, the fights became fixed to try and kill me. My fights had always been one-on-one, the last fight pitted me up against three. Biotics. Psychos more like it, apparently their implants had made them insane. I barely survived." Gonzales looked down at the table, his brow was furrowed, "It was the first time I had killed." He let the silence hang in the air, "The arena was in chaos, the biotics had practically destroyed the place in trying to kill me. The fact that I survived made the Blue Suns even angrier. I was now their target. So I ran. Managed to hide myself for three days before I was found...by an Assassin." Elizabeth's eyes darted to the others, looks of recognition flitted across the other's faces. "And the rest is history, that's how I got here. They gave me a way out and I took it."

Gonzales lifted his head, every face looking back at him filled with understanding. "A salvation for the lost." Elizabeth said with a quiet voice. Gonzales met her eye and gave her a slight smile. She understood.

"Well that was a charming, uplifting story." Evans' sarcastic voice had made its way back and had cut through the mood. "Thanks for sharing."

"Spirits Evans, do you really have to be an ass?" Elizabeth shot at him.

"Aw Shep, language." he smiled an overly sweet smile.

"Don't call me Shep."

She opened her mouth to continue berating him when Roden intervened, "We all need to get moving anyway. We're due up at the course for more training." Roden placed his hand on Elizabeth's shoulder, she turned to look at him, "Think you can handle it?"

An eyebrow shot up at the challenge. She knew he was trying to distract her, trying to stop a fight before it really got underway. The look in his eyes pleaded with her,_ Let it go_. Anger ebbing away, the corner of her mouth crept up, "It'll take more than a bruise to keep me from kicking your ass."

The atmosphere at the table relaxed, Byrd had a visible smile on her face. "I'm ready to go, see if any of you can keep up with me."

They all rose to the challenge and headed for their training.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes: Saving the notes for the bottom this time. <strong>

**For those who have been following the story, you'll notice some changes. The title change, description and the character listings all reflect the new direction I'm going in with this story. Originally it was going to be split into two stories: Pre-ME2 and During ME2. Now the Pre-ME2 part is split further and sadly, Thane does not feature prominently in this part of Shepard's story. However, he will in the second part. This thing is becoming a beast, with about 30 chapters planned for this first part.**

**Muryama is not necessarily Masayaf, it is the city where the headquarters is located.**

**The Mentor is the official title given to the head of the Order. Al Mualim was one during his time as was Altair and Ezio. **

**I've reached a point in the story where I feel I'll start rolling through so there shouldn't be as many delays. **

**Thanks for all the reviews and the favorites, they really keep me going!  
><strong>


	5. Trust Yourself

Sink or swim.

That seemed to be the way to learn with the Assassins.

Hence why Elizabeth was hanging on the side of a false wall trying to climb up the side of a "building" using any handholds she could find. She could see the next handhold above her and was trying to reach it. Stretching her arm as far as she could, the jutting cornice was just out of reach. Making sure her footing was secure, she lifted her foot up until she was standing on the tips of her toes. It was closer, she could feel the bottom of the cornice. Taking a deep determined breath, she bent her knee just enough to give her a bit of leverage and made a slight jump. Fingers brushed the top of the cornice but didn't hold. Nails tried to dig in but it was too late. Losing her grip completely, Elizabeth began to plunge to the ground. She braced her body for the impact.

The harness jerked and she was brought to an abrupt, and painful, stop. The cord dug into her sides, pressing into the bruise on her ribs that still hadn't healed from the week before. She let herself hang there, frustrated and angery at herself for falling...again.

"Splat. You're dead Shepard." She was irritated by the hint of amusement in Hotaru's voice. She had been assigned "the wall" with him while the others worked on other freerunning skills. Two days on the wall and the only progress she had made was reaching to the third story. She wished she could go back to working the beams, that was something she was getting the hang of. Then again, that was a lot like running in the woods back on Mindoir. It took the same techniques to keep from tripping on a fallen log, a loose rock, or a jutting root. Just higher up in the air. She had though that climbing the wall would be like climbing rocks and trees.

The repeated falls had proved otherwise.

"You really expect me to make it to the top of this thing?" She demanded, finally planting her feet on the ground. The irritation was not hidden in her voice.

"I do. And without the harness. In less than a minute."

"Bullshit." she said bluntly.

"There is a way to reach the top." He was infuriatingly calm.

"And I'm telling you, there is no way to do it. The handholds are too far apart, they're too small. There's no way to keep a grip when reaching for the next one." Her hands were a flurry of movement, she got this way when she was highly frustrated.

"Others have done exactly as I'm asking you to do." he persisted.

"Well then I'm just one of the ones who can't." she said, throwing her hands into the air.

Hotaru let out an audible sigh, pulled his hood back off his head and ran his fingers through his dark hair. "Tell me what you were thinking when you were chasing me."

"What?" She was thrown off by the change in topic.

"Back in Chuoshi, what were you thinking when I had taken your bag."

Elizabeth shrugged. "I dunno, nothing really. Just that I had to catch you."

"Did you know the streets? The alleys?"

"No, I just...knew where to go. I knew where you would be and that I needed to be there."

He stepped closer to Elizabeth. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he turned her around to face the wall and got close to her ear, "Don't think about the climb. Move up it. Make it as natural as walking or running. More than that: as natural as breathing. Trust that you know how to do it." He stepped back from her, she could feel the tug of the harness as the slack was lessened. "Clear your mind. Don't think about it."

She stared at the wall.

It was an odd façade. The first two stories were easy to climb, there were false windows and decorative architecture to grab hold of. The third story was where the problems began as there were fewer windows with larger spaces between them. The fourth and fifth story had no windows, just random jutting of bricks and decorative features. How the hell was she supposed to reach the top? And do all that without thinking?

"Whenever you're ready, Shepard." There was no sense of urgency in his voice.

Closing her eyes, she tuned everything out. She relaxed her shoulders and steadied her breath. Natural as breathing. The world around her faded. She needed to let herself go. The tips of her fingers and toes tingled, ready to "walk" the wall. Natural as walking. She could feel the tension leaving her body. A pulling sensation drew her towards the wall. Her body knew where to go. Elizabeth was drifting away.

_Trust that you know how to do it._ Hotaru's words echoed again in her mind.

Her eyes flew open.

She moved before her mind knew what was happening, her body directing itself. A quick dash gave her enough momentum to run up the blank side of the wall, clearing the first story. Instinctively, her arm flew up to grab the window ledge. Continuing her momentum, she reached for the arch above the window and pulled herself up to stand on the ledge. Before her mind could take charge, she leaped along the side of the wall, gripping the next window arch and moved up to the cornice in one swift movement. She pressed her fingers hard so as not to lose her grip. Her knees pulled up, allowing her feet to touch the wall. She scooted along the side to reach a decorative outcropping. Using her whole body, she lunged for the outcropping. Not stopping, she climbed up as if on a ladder. The last outcropping was a few feet below the top ledge. Her muscles coiled, energy built up under her skin, the world around her slowed.

_Trust that you know how to do it._ The voice had changed to her Grandpa Joe's.

Her muscles sprang into action, the energy like a bolt through her body. For a moment, she was flying. Hands and feet holding nothing but the air around her. Her arms rounded up, fingers outstretched. The feeling of rough stone graced her fingertips and her body reacted to the feeling. Her fingers curled and her grip tightened around the edge. She let herself hang there for a moment, the muscles in her arms stretched from holding her weight. With a deep breath, she pulled herself up and over the top. Slowly she stood. Only once her head had straightened out did she open her eyes.

Shepard could see the entirety of the immense freerunning training room. Over two acres in size, as large as the field where she had tended to the herd on Mindoir. It looked like a small town with streets and alleys, right down to the small touches of dumpsters and other brick-a-brack. She could see others training: running, leaping, climbing, swinging...so many methods of getting across the room, beyond anything she could've imagined. She could see it all from up on the wall.

Then the full weight of what she had just done hit her. She climbed roughly five stories up the side of a building with no equipment save for the harness for safety. Her mind finally caught up with what her body had been doing and she nearly collapsed. A suddenness of vertigo hit her. Emotions flooded her mind and she pulled away from the edge. What had she just done?

"Shepard! Are you alright?" Hotaru's voice was so far she barely registered it.

Elizabeth had just climbed up the side of the building. She had let her mind go, allowed her body to run on instinct, and she climbed the side of building.

"I did it." she whispered to herself. "I did it!" She shouted. Her fists pounded into the air and she gave a long, loud cry of victory. She didn't care that the others could hear her, she wanted everyone to know.

Below, Hotaru laughed and clapped. The sound of others around the room had joined him. Elizabeth thought she could make out the sounds of the other Recluta who no doubt had watched her ascent.

"Not bad Shepard, a minute ten. Bring that time down and we'll move you to the advanced wall." Pride resounded in Hotaru's voice.

"Great!" Looking around, a puzzling problem arose, "Hey Hotaru! How the hell do I get down?"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Wow, thank goodness for extended breaks. This one was fun to write.<strong>

**On a side note to a reviewer: Hotaru is an older brother. I have a different name picked out if the father makes an appearance, a shout out to one of my favorite people.  
><strong>


	6. Bonding

Shepard eyed her opponent before her. He was formidable, a challenge she was not about to back down from. She had taken many blows and others around observing the fight had told her to yield, yet she refused. She extended her arm, reaching for her target. It was a move made out of desperation. She curled her hand tightly and lunged. Slamming her fist, she hoped her desperate act would work, if only to keep her in the game.

Her opponent sneered, his eyes told her he had anticipated her move. Even before her attack had finished, he countered. In a swift but graceful movement, his hand slid forward for another blow.

"Check." Roden crossed his arms across his chest and leaned back in his chair, a smug look on his face.

Elizabeth squinted down at the chessboard, an annoyed grunt escaped her. "I can still come back."

Shu Qing Yuan chuckled, he had been sitting next to them splitting his time between watching the game and tinkering with Elizabeth's omni-tool. "Give it up, Shepard. He's got you beat."

She jabbed her finger into Qing's face, "Never."

"He's got checkmate in three moves."

Roden lifted up his arm, "Two." He mouthed while holding up the same number of fingers.

Qing looked back at the board, "Ah yes." He looked her straight in the eyes, "Two, definitely three." he said matter-of-fact.

"You're both bastards." This only elicited more chuckles from the two.

"Told you you should've played poker with us, Shep." Blake Evans called from behind her.

"Don't call me Shep!" More laughter.

They had been training for nearly two weeks and were finally given a day off for rest and healing. Keegan Byrd was the first to suggest that they spend the time together, getting to know each other. She had been getting tired of everyone calling her by her last name and began insisting that when they weren't training, she was Keegan. They were all taken somewhat aback by her forwardness and resisted at first. Trust seemed to come slowly for all of them, Shepard figured with Gonzales' revelations about his past that they all had similar backgrounds: pain and loss.

However, it was hard to deny Keegan her desire to be friendly with everyone. Maybe it had something to do with her age which gave her a cheery disposition. At fourteen, she was the youngest member of the Recluta. When Elizabeth first found out, she was appalled at the idea of recruiting someone so young. She later found out that those who were born into the Order started training from the moment they could walk by their parents and were officially trained by the Order at the age of twelve. In a way, Elizabeth's own age of seventeen was old.

Neal Roden was the first to take her up on her offer. He was the one who suggested that they hit up the lounge area and see what there was to do there. Shepard was next to join in, quickly followed by Shu Qing Yuan. The four of them had already grown pretty close over the past few weeks during training and meals. The rest, Blake Evans, Alessia DeLuca, and Will Gonzales, joined in as well. They figured that if Shepard could be convinced to join then they could too.

For the first time, they really took the time to introduce themselves before heading out. Elizabeth wanted to be called Shepard, feeling that that's who she was becoming. Elizabeth was the scared colony kid, Shepard was the Assassin in training. Even her own mindset was changing, finding at times that even she was calling herself Shepard. Roden, who was from New York on Earth, and Gonzales, also preferred their last names. The other three reintroduced themselves as well: Blake was a colony kid from Elysium; Qing, a spacer raised on cargo transports; Alessia, also from Earth just outside of Albuquerque.

After that was all said and done, they were off to the lounge.

The lounge was very nice, having everything one would need to be entertained in some way. It was separated into two different areas: a quiet area for reading and games that required thinking and a more rambunctious area with vid-screens, game tables and music. The Recluta, as they were collectively known as by the other Assassins, choose the quiet room. Roden convinced Elizabeth to play a game of chess, who had only played a few times before, while the others, except for Qing, played poker. Qing, instead, was fiddling with Elizabeth's omni-tool and being extremely unhelpful during her attempt at the game.

"So, what's your move, Shepard?" Roden was so damned smug, she wanted to hit him.

"I'm not going down without a fight." she challenged back and made her next move.

He beat her...in three moves. Shepard felt a sense of accomplishment, she may have lost but not in the two he had predicted. It was a small victory.

"Told you it was going to be three." Qing stated flatly.

"Alright, she's better than she let on." Roden locked challenging eyes with Shepard, "How about another round?"

Elizabeth felt a slight jump in her chest. It was the way he gripped her eyes with his own, a mischievous look in the way his eyes crinkled, and the slight up-curve in the corner of his mouth. She felt sudden rush to her head and for a moment, she wasn't sure what to think. He was challenging her, yes, but not in the way she expected.

"Why don't you help us out here, Shepard? Blake is killing us." Alessia's voice broke through Shepard's thoughts.

She turned to the group at the table, "Uh, sure." Looking back at Roden, "You were kicking my ass anyway."

His smile grew bigger and gave a nod of his head. "Another time then. Qing, you in?"

Elizabeth got up and made her way to the table the other part of their group was sitting, unable to shake the feeling of Roden's eyes. The others were playing a game of Texas Hold'em poker, a more traditional version from Earth. Blake's pile of chips was bigger than the rest. Gonzales and Alessia were holding their own but Keegan was nearly done. At the moment, it was between Blake and Gonzales, the girls had already folded.

"Show 'em." Blake said.

Putting his cards down, "Two pair: threes and jacks." Alessia snickered her approval.

Blake simply raised an eyebrow. With no rush in his movements, he laid down his cards, "Three of a kind: fives."

Roars of disbelief echoed throughout the group while Blake leaned back and took it all in. "How the hell do you keep doing that?" Alessia said, completely confounded.

"A bit of skill and a bit of luck." He said, a smug grin moving across his face. "Now you know why I was so damned popular with the mob back on Elysium."

"The mob?" Elizabeth asked, incredulously.

"It was just the one. They ran dirty games at their casino. Didn't like the fact that I was on to their schemes and was able to beat them at their own game." He got a wistful look in his eyes, "Had to out run them a few times, keep them from breaking my legs. Good times."

"And you were the paragon of honesty, I'm sure." A hint of a smile ghosted on Gonzales', normally stoic, face.

"Never said I was. I swindled my fair share of people. Started off running a three-card monte, little pickpocketing here and there, few little scams on the rich tourists." Taking the cards in hand he started shuffling them. "Small time really. Moved on to bigger fish. The casinos were an easy target. It's always the simplest tricks that can bypass their security. You in Shep?" he asked, ready to deal the cards.

"Sure." Ignoring his little nickname for her.

"What did you do?" Keegan was always curious.

"A little sleight of hand, a little card counting, a few algorithms added to their gambling machines." he waved it off as if it was nothing. "They were rigging the games so that people didn't win, more so than usual for a casino. I was only returning the favor." The cards were dealt, Blake laid out the flop.

"You know, this story always ends the same way in the vids." Elizabeth interjected, looking at her hand.

"Yeah. Eventually they caught on and I had to make a run for it. They would've put me at the bottom of the Eridanos. Guess it's a good thing I picked that Assassin's pocket."

"Wait, you pickpocketed an Assassin?" asked Alessia.

"Damned if he didn't look like an easy mark. Happened about a year before I had to run. Snagged his chit and thought I was home free. When I went to check out the score, I found a slip of paper. He managed to not only retrieve his chit but slipped me a note. I went to meet him like it asked, we talked and he offered me a way off the planet. I was enjoying myself too much at the time so I declined. Gave me a way to contact him if I ever changed my mind."

"Guess having the mob on your tail counts as needing to change your mind. Call." she said, throwing in a chip.

"I needed a new change of pace anyway. I'm in."

For a moment, the group was silently concentrating on their hands and the game. They went a few hands and Elizabeth was making a sizable dent in Blake's chips.

"Looks like Shepard is our good luck charm." Alessia said with great amusement.

Elizabeth looked Blake right in the eye, "You just have to know how to play a player. Even when he stacks the deck against you."

"What?" Keegan exclaimed.

"Are you saying he's been cheating us?" Gonzales glared at Blake.

"Just a little shuffling trick to put the odds in my favor." he shrugged. "The question is, how do you know what I'm doing, Shep?"

She gave him a twisted grin, "My gut, I'm pretty observant and can see when someone is trying cheat me. Little trick I picked up from my dad and Grandpa Joe." She leaned in close to Blake, "Just stop and let's play a real game."

"Or you might find yourself with a few extra bruises in the morning." Gonzales growled.

Blake threw his hands up in surrender, "Hey, can't blame a conman for trying." He passed the deck to Shepard. "Here you go Shep, keep a man honest."

At this point, Qing and Roden came up to the table to join them. They scooted around they could all fit.

"The game is Texas Hold'em, no wilds and the ante is a fiver." She stated as she dealt the cards and set up the flop. Across the table, Roden caught her eyes and smiled. A smile, she couldn't help but return.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: My holiday gift too you all.<strong>

**Finally started Revelations and I can't wait to see how it ends. I'm trying to make sure I have a balance of the two different games and I've got some ideas that work well, I think, within ME. **

**Once again, thanks for all the reviews. Seeing them has really been helping me keep going and encouraging me to finish. I've already got the outline for the second part of this story.**

**Happy Holidays!**


	7. Fight School

There was something comforting and familiar with the feeling of protected hands making an impact on a padded block._ Right jab, left jab, right jab, left hook, dodge, right jab, left jab, right kick_. Shepard fell into a routine of moves her father had drilled into her, her body moving from muscle memory.

"One, two!" Right jab, left jab, "One, two, three!" Right, left, right, "Kick!" Right kick…And so it went on. The Assassin, Eryx, called out rapid-fire moves and Shepard responded in kind just as quickly. She was pegged early on in their combat training by the Assassins and she, along with Gonzales, were separated to work one-on-one. Eryx, as she understood it, was one of the best combat specialists and spent his time testing her knowledge. Eryx was aware that she had some combat training but she surprised him with exactly how much training it really was. She was already trained in kickboxing thanks to her father and Grandpa Joe, and had picked a little krav maga while training for the N7s. Her training soon consisted of seeing just how far he could push her.

Shepard started to understand what the purpose of being a Recluta was. If they had skills, could they be improved? If they didn't, could they learn? And most importantly, would they snap under the intense pressure put on them by the Assassins?

So far, Shepard was meeting and exceeding all expectations. Najya, the Assassin she had initially worked freerunning with, had been so impressed with Shepard's progress that she was the one who sent Shepard to work with Hotaru. Hotaru continued to push her further, challenging her with more and more difficult freerunning courses and walls. She was intrigued by a skill he was promising to teach her, something the Assassins called a Leap of Faith. She couldn't wait to see how far Eryx would push her fighting skills.

"Kick! One, two, dodge!" he continued to call. Shepard became vaguely aware that she had amassed a small audience. She pushed all thoughts of them to the side, concentrating on the various calls Eryx made instead. In the distance, she could hear the other Recluta being trained. Gonzales was the closest, his training was occurring next to hers and he was being pushed just as hard. She wondered how she was measuring up to the tall, dark, imposing fighter from Omega.

"Okay," Eryx said, dropping his arms, "Take five. Get some water and we'll pick this up again."

Nodding, she walked over to the bench where her water and towel were situated. She decided to take a moment and fix her braided hair, several chunks had gotten loose and they were becoming annoying. Tugging at the band, her hair fell loose in a cascade of red and she shook out knots. An instant relief fell over her as her scalp was no longer being pulled; she ran her fingers through her hair and scalp, giving it a good scratch. Quickly, she plaited her hair into its standard side braid and draped it over her shoulder.

Gonzales joined her on the bench, grabbed his own bottle of water and took a long swig. Shepard gave him a side glance and smiled a greeting which he returned with only the slightest twinge of his lips. Gonzales, she had come to discern, was not one for many words or emotions. Imposing was certainly the right word for him given his size, a body honed for battle thanks to years of fight matches on Omega. Add to it the intensity in his dark eyes, the scars that stood out against his tanned skin and his seemingly unfeeling nature, he was certainly a scary sight. However, Shepard could see the pain hidden in his eyes. It was the same haunted pain she saw in her own eyes when she looked in a mirror. It was this pain that gave them their unspoken bond, especially since they never really spoke.

Though, she thought him braver for telling them so quickly about his own past. Elizabeth was still too haunted to say anything herself.

"Think the others are doing well?" he asked, keeping his eyes forward and looking out across the room to where the others were practicing.

"I'm sure they're doing fine." she shrugged, "Though, I am wondering how Alessia is handling it."

"What do you mean?" he turned and looked at her, he face remaining impassive.

"She just...doesn't seem to be the fighting type."

"Neither do Qing or Keegan." he said pointedly.

Shepard gave a slight nod of her head, "True. But they don't complain, she does." She was thinking back on the early days of their freerunning training. They were all in pain, suffering from various knocks, bumps and bruises. Shepard could still feel phantom pains in her side from the large bruise she had received falling early on. Alessia was the most vocal, lamenting the large number of dark bruises she had accumulated and how they marred her skin.

Alessia reminded Shepard of a group of girls back on Mindoir, girls who would do everything they could to avoid working the fields just so they wouldn't get dirty. Those girls concerned themselves with how they looked, downloading the latest fashion magazines from the extranet and sighing about how they wished they could be part of the high-life on the Citadel. Back then, they avoided Shepard like the plague, especially after she had flung sheep manure at them to make a point that they in fact lived on a farming colony. That bought her a week cleaning the horse barns but it had been well worth it. She wondered what the Assassins saw in Alessia, all she saw was a tall blonde better suited for life as a model than the life as a trained killer.

"Give her a chance. She may yet surprise us all." he said knowingly. It made her wonder what it was he knew.

"Shepard, Gonzales! Let's go!" Eryx called. Their break time was over.

* * *

><p>Shepard's muscles seemed to be screaming in pain, every movement burned a strained heat and it tore through her body. Practice had gone on all day and just when they all thought they were done, a wrench was thrown into the mix. It was time to see how they matched up…<p>

"Watch your left Roden!" Shepard called out.

Shepard could see Roden kept dropping his left guard and Gonzales was taking advantage of it. For any experienced fighter, it was easy to see that Gonzales was holding back. Shepard would, the mistakes Roden was making were too obvious and much too easy to take advantage of. It wasn't about his ego, it was about giving him a chance.

"Come on Will! Take him down!" shouted Alessia.

They had each taken a side: Alessia and Blake for Gonzales; Shepard and Keegan for Roden. Qing stayed quiet, not getting into the spirit of the fights as much as the rest of them were. The fight hadn't gone on for long but Roden was showing a lot of fatigue. Gonzales was showing some as well but his better fighting skills were making up for it. It seemed odd that the Assassins would match up to different leveled fighters. When they first found out about the fights, everyone assumed it would be Shepard going up against Gonzalez. She figured it had to do with size, Roden and Gonzales were about the same height but Roden had a slimmer build.

"Go Roden!" a shout from Keegan.

"Keep your guard up! Watch the left!" Shepard was trying to be helpful but she knew that his mistakes would only be fixed with training.

Gonzales went in for another punch, getting in several shots to Roden's left ribcage. This caused Roden to drop his arms enough for Gonzales to go for his head. Roden dodged the first two but the third landed, sending him to the ground. Keegan made a very audible gasp, Shepard just cringed.

"Match!" Eryx called. Shepard breathed a sigh of relief, Roden just wasn't up to Gonzales' level and it would've been pointless to let the spectacle continue.

"Alright G-Man!" yelled Blake.

Gonzales offered a hand to Roden which he took with a smile. "Nice job kicking my ass." he said with a laugh.

"You held up well." he said as he pulled Roden up.

Roden grunted in pain, he was definitely going to bruise. "About as well as a chicken with no head."

"Nice job Gonzales. Roden, we'll continue working on improving your skills." said Liam, another Assassin. "Have a seat."

They made their way back to the group. Shepard could see Roden grimace in pain but he still managed to give her a weak smile, trying to reassure her that he was fine.

"Shepard, DeLuca...you're up." Shepard's eyes went wide. They were pinning her up against DeLuca? She never struck Shepard as a fighter, she hoped she could pull her punches enough not to hurt her too badly.

"All right! Chick fight." came Blake's perverted cry of excitement. "Think we can get some mud in there?"

Shepard snarled, she was hoping for Blake so she could bring him down a notch or two.

"Evans! Fifty laps on the track, NOW!" Eryx yelled.

Blake fumed. He pushed up from his seat and grumbled as he made his way to the track. Shepard relished in his punishment, he deserved more being the ass that he was.

"Let's go ladies!" called Minka, another combat Assassin. She had been working with the rest of the Recluta while Shepard and Gonzales were having their individual training.

Shepard made her way into the ring, passing under the ropes to the center where Eryx was waiting. Alessia moved somewhat slower. She looked nervous, Shepard felt sorry for her knowing that she was scared to go up against a better fighter. She hoped to make it quick so as not to draw out Alessia's distress and make her look like a fool. She checked the wrappings on her hands and fitted the mouth guard in place.

"Ready." Shepard took a fight stance, "Begin!" Eryx shouted and stepped back.

Shepard wasted no time, she moved in and connected to DeLuca's ribs with a kick. DeLuca swiped twice with jabs to the face which Shepard easily dodged and countered with a hook to the right side. DeLuca grunted, having some of the wind knocked out of her. And it went like that for a short time, Shepard connecting blows and DeLuca trying to connect her own. The sounds of the others were tuned out, she didn't bother to listen to them. Her focus was DeLuca, to find a way to win without hurting her too much. Another one-two punch and a kick, DeLuca went sprawling to the ground.

_Stay down_. She silently hoped that DeLuca knew she was hopelessly outmatched and would end it right there. DeLuca didn't, she quickly got back to her feet and took a fight stance. Shepard was taken aback by a fire in her eyes, there was something hidden and knowing. Shaking it off, Shepard went in for another jab…

A jab DeLuca easily blocked then countered with punch of her own to the head. Shock coursed through Shepard, she didn't expect such a move from DeLuca. DeLuca charged again, connecting several blows to Shepard's chest and ending with a hit to the back that sent Shepard flying forward. Quickly, Shepard shook off the initial shock and recovered with a big revelation.

DeLuca was better than she let on. Vain, narcissistic, complaining Alessia was in fact an excellent fighter. Shepard had to change her strategy to this new challenge: DeLuca was going down and hard. She turned to face her and saw that DeLuca was ready for a real fight, a feeling of exhilaration ran through her veins. Shepard took a calming breath and returned to a fight stance.

Not wasting time, DeLuca moved. Rapid fire punches, each one blocked by Shepard. Finding an opening, Shepard connected with a kick to the shoulder which knocked DeLuca off balance. Shepard moved in for a punch but DeLuca recovered, grabbed her arm and gave her a punch to the side. Shepard grunted and DeLuca twisted her arm behind her. Throwing an elbow back, she connected with the side of DeLuca's head which caused her to loosen her grip. Shepard quickly whirled around to make another kick but DeLuca blocked and threw a punch which sent Shepard to the ground.

Shepard swung her legs, making a sweep for DeLuca and knocking her off her feet. Continuing the momentum, Shepard used it to get herself back up and took a moment to gain her footing. DeLuca used her own momentum to flip herself back onto her own feet and returned to a fight stance. Shepard moved first this time, going in with a knee to the gut. Taking advantage of DeLuca's unguarded face as she reacted to the knee, she connected with several blows. DeLuca grappled Shepard's arm to hold her in place and made several blows to her chest.

With every bit of fury she could muster, Shepard landed a hard kick which loosened DeLuca's grip. Shepard twisted and landed a hard blow to DeLuca's shoulder followed with a right hook to her face. DeLuca recovered immediately and returned her own right hook, followed by punch to the chest. Shepard grabbed her arm as DeLuca went in for another hit and sent her knee into her chest several times. Pushing herself away, Shepard staggered back several feet to give herself a chance to recover.

Looking at DeLuca, she could see exhaustion was settling. Bruises were forming on the exposed parts of her skin and her lip was split open. Shepard was sure she looked no better. Both of them were breathing hard and their arms were dropped. Even with the pain and tiredness, Shepard could see a look of determination was set in DeLuca's eyes. They had the same resolve.

Win.

Lifting her arms up once more, Shepard moved in swift and hard. Acting as if she had nothing more to lose, threw punch after punch. DeLuca did the same. Shepard was knocked to the ground with a solid hit the head. As DeLuca moved in, Shepard kicked up hitting DeLuca square in the chest which sent her flying back. Reacting quickly, Shepard moved to DeLuca, pinning her to the ground and lifted a fist high up for a finishing blow.

"Match!" called Eryx.

It took a moment for them both to register what just happened. Shepard lowered her fist, lifted herself off DeLuca and fell back onto the padded ground. Instantly, Eryx was at her side looking her over, his omni-tool glowing as he scanned her for injuries.

"Nothing broken but you're going to have a lot of bruises. How do you feel?" Eryx asked with a slight edge of concern.

She spit out her mouth guard, "Peachy." she managed to say.

A smile broke on Eryx's face. He put a hand behind her shoulders and another under her arm to lift her up. Slowly, Shepard stood and was facing DeLuca once more who was being aided by Minka. A look of suspicion crossed DeLuca's face but quickly faded as Shepard gave her a large, genuine smile. Reaching out, she offered her hand. DeLuca smiled herself and took Shepard's hand.

"Next time." DeLuca said.

Shepard chuckled, "Next time." she said with newfound respect.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed my first foray into fight scenes. For anyone in the MD area, the title is a shout out to that group of entertainers.<br>**

**I've been thinking of adding an Appendix with all the notes I use to keep track of the information within the story. It'll also help with giving information without having to bog the story down with a large amount of exposition. **

**Almost done with Revelations, good thing too because I really want to do research on the wiki again.  
><strong>


	8. Necessary Evil

**Author's Note: Sorry this took so long. After finishing Revelations and the hundreds of hours logged with ME, I was burnt out and couldn't even bring myself to think about this story for a time. However, I'm back and looking forward to getting the next few chapters done so I can get into the true meat of the story. I'll also be adding more Assassin's Creed lore into the mix, which also means some spoilers for those who haven't played yet. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>The lounge was quiet.<p>

They had been given the day off up to after dinner to recover from the various injuries incurred after the combat practice. Despite the medi-gel and painkillers, Shepard was hurting from the bruises all over her body. And she just couldn't keep from running the tip of her tongue over the split in her lip. A lop-sided grin crossed her face as she thought about the conversation after the fight was over with DeLuca. Turns out, Alessia was not the complaining, model-like blonde who would be better suited for fashion magazines. She had purposefully put on an act to throw them all off, acting weak so that none of them suspected the truth: she had fight training. Most of it was self-defense but she was a natural who easily adapted to the situation. DeLuca had been holding something back, the reason for the training was something more than just being prepared. However, DeLuca was not interested in telling her story.

In the end, Shepard had a new respect for DeLuca and learned never to underestimate anyone...especially those perceived as weak.

Shepard turned her attention back to her book. The lounge was filled with old style books just as she had seen at Ammon Eyad's bookstore back in Chuoshi on her first day. The one in her hands had been sitting on a side table next to the chair she was in, curled up with her feet tucked under and somewhat sinking into the cushions. On the top left corner of the inside cover was an insignia that looked like a letter "A" without the slash through the middle. The insignia, she had been told, was the sign of the Assassin Order and it represented the blade used by the Assassins. She had seen the insignia throughout the compound and on the clothes worn by the Assassins. While the insignia in the book was simplistic, she knew it came in a wide variety of designs that suited the taste of the person who bore it.

She continued to read, enjoying the silence and solitude.

After some time, Qing entered the lounge. They acknowledged each other with smiles and Qing began looking at the books lining the wall. For a while, Shepard ignored him and read her book.

"What are you reading?" he finally asked.

"Machiavelli's The Prince. Apparently it's on the Assassin's 'Must Read' list."

"Interesting." Qing turned back to the bookshelves, seeming to let Shepard return to her reading undisturbed. However, there was an air of nervousness surrounding Qing and she could sense something was off.

Closing the book, she turned her attention to Qing, "Is there something wrong."

"No, no I don't…" Qing let out a heavy sigh, "It's nothing."

"Doesn't seem like nothing."

"It's just…," His shoulders dropped and slowly he walked towards Shepard, taking a seat in the chair next to hers. "I don't know about...this. This life we're getting ourselves into."

"You mean becoming Assassins." She wasn't surprised by his hesitation. From the moment she met him, he was somewhat withdrawn from the group and wasn't taking to the training with as much fervor as the rest of them.

He ran his hands through his short, black hair. "It all seems wrong. The rest of you seem comfortable with the idea. Hell, even Keegan who seems all sweet and kind was kicking my ass yesterday during the fight."

Shepard slowly nodded, that was something that hadn't gone past her notice either. Their fight was right after her own against DeLuca and she was able to watch between the examinations by the medic. Keegan was just as green in the ring as Qing but there was something off about her fight. She clearly had picked up the training by the Assassins, however there was something else. Something that Shepard just couldn't put her finger on. In the end, Qing was just so far less skilled than Keegan that he conceded defeat quickly.

There was a long moment of silence. Shepard didn't know what to say so she said nothing, giving Qing time to figure his thoughts out. He looked lost, out of place and she wondered what brought him to the Order's attention. It had to have something to do with his tech skills, her omni-tool was better than ever after he had fiddled with it and turned it from a crappy hand-me-down from the Alliance to something better than new.

"Shepard," he was looking square at her, hesitation reading all over his face, "how do you feel about...killing another person?" There it was, the main thing that was bothering him. Killing was the essence of becoming an Assassin, that's what they were training to do. Qing was disquieted over the idea of killing, it was painfully obvious.

"If it's for the right reasons, killing is often a necessary evil."

"Have you ever killed anyone?"

Shepard's mind flashed back to Mindoir.

_The smell of smoke and burnt flesh permeated the air. Screams of the terrified, of the dying, of those being dragged away...all of it pierced her ears. She held tight to the hunting rifle, trying to drown out the chaos all around her as she ran deeper into the turmoil. A corner turned, three brutes stood in her path. They snarled at her, speaking in a language that was foreign to her ears. Their eyes, four dark and soulless orbs, peered at her. They moved towards her, two with weapons trained at her and the third reaching to grab hold. Behind them, she could see a small form curled into a ball and shaking violently. _

_A child._

_They were nearly on top of her, so close she could distinguish their stench from the burning town. _

_It was only a child._

_Emotions poured away, an unnatural calm overtook her. As the lead monster stepped closer she swung the rifle, the butt landing hard on the batarian's head. As he went down, her momentum continued and she trained the rifle on one of the armed batarians…and fired._

"Shepard?" Qing's hand rested on Shepard's upper arm. She looked back at him, not realizing she had zoned out.

"Sorry. I, uh...was just…" She let out a loud sigh, "Yes, I have killed."

"What happened?"

"Long story. Not one I'm willing to tell."

"Sorry, I didn't mean…"

Shepard gave him a reassuring smile, "It's okay. I just haven't thought about it in a long time." She looked him straight in the eyes, making sure he was paying attention, "Just know that I didn't do it because I wanted to, I did it because I had to."

Qing simply nodded. He would need time to process everything, she could see there was a lot on his mind.

"I'll let you get back to your reading. Thanks for the talk."

"Yeah, no problem."

Qing left and Shepard was alone with her book. Worse yet, she was alone with her thoughts. Even though the room was silent, she could hear the faint sound of screaming.


	9. A Shadow of Pain

**Author's Note: Nothing new, just combined two chapters into one to streamline the story more.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><em>Screams of pain and fear echoed through the streets in an unyielding, continuous sound. <em>

_A cry for help...a crack of a gun...a voice silenced. _

_The air was thick with the smell of fire. A stench of burning flesh and blood. Chemicals emitting thick clouds of smoke._

_I gasp for air, lungs straining for a clean breath. My body moves beyond pain, I must find them…I must…_

_Those that can, flee for the safety for the dark woods. Away from the from where death and destruction lie. _

_I do not follow. I run head long into battle. I must find them...I must…_

_They cry for me to join them. Crying that there is nothing left. Crying that only pain awaits me in the direction I'm headed. _

_No. I must find them...I must…_

_Ignore the pain. Ignore the fear. Ignore the chaos around me._

_I must find them…_

_I battle and rage. I spill their blood. The four-eyed demons block my way, causing destruction to deter me from my goal. They will not see success. That I will make sure of._

_A familiar sight. I must find them…_

_Scorch marks, collapsed walls, fire and smoke. I push forward, unaware of anything beyond what I have found._

_A corner turned..._

_My heart stops…_

_No...No!_

* * *

><p>"Finn!" Shepard bolted upright, gasping for air. Her mouth felt dry and her throat was scratchy. Rubbing her hands on her face, she wipes the sweat that accumulated. Just another dream. Looking around, she eyes the other beds to see if anyone stirs.<p>

No one moves, they're all too exhausted from training that they've all fallen into a deep slumber. Shepard lets out a small sigh of relief, glad that no one was awake to witness her duress. Slowly she gets up and makes her way to the bathroom. She braces herself for the harsh light as she flicks the switch, hoping no one will notice the light from the crack of the door.

She avoids the mirror for the time being, focusing on turning on the water. Cupping her hands, she feels the cool water run through her fingers. Taking a moment to enjoy the sensation then splashing it on her face. She does this a few more times, wishing she could just submerge her entire face into the cold water and remain there for a time. Grabbing hold of the edges of the sink, she watches as the water flows down the drain.

Slowly, she turns off the water and looks up to face the mirror. The girl staring back at her is not one she recognizes. The impassive, unrevealing face has taken over one that was full of life and expression. The only place emotion could be found was deep within her eyes...a shadow of pain that could only be seen if you truly looked hard enough.

"Fortunately, no one ever does." she muttered to herself. She preferred it that way, weakness was not something she wanted to show here. This was a place where the others relied on her strength.

Standing up straight, she dried her face on a nearby towel and took a moment to check herself. Everything was back in place, back in order.

No one would ever suspect that beneath her façade was a broken individual.

She crawled back into bed, flipping the pillow so as not to sleep on the sweat-drenched side. Forcing her eyes to close, her body to relax, and her mind to shut down, she began the slow descent back into a fitful slumber.

Never noticing a pair of light blue eyes watching her.

* * *

><p>"Nugh!" Shepard grunted as Alessia made contact, fist to ribs. Shepard dodged the next blow and connected with her own which knocked Alessia back a few steps. They both rebalanced and returned to their guard. Alessia moved first, reaching to make a strike with her left. Shepard, countered easily: pushing the blow away, she reached out with her own left and pushed forward on Alessia's neck and swept her right leg under Alessia's, sending her to the ground. Alessia hit hard, letting out a yelp as the wind was knocked out of her.<p>

"Told you to watch out for that." Gonzales called from the side. She and Gonzales had been working together to help the others on their fighting styles for extra practice. Today, it was Alessia's turn. She was improving but Shepard kept adding new moves to keep her on her toes.

"Yeah, I know, I know." Eyeing Shepard from her position on the ground. "Where the hell did you learn how to do all that?"

Shepard just gave a lopsided smile, "I picked up some things here and there." She reached out her hand which Alessia gladly took. "Ready to try again?" she asked as she pulled Alessia up.

Alessia waved her hand in a dismissive manner, "No way, I need a break. Two hours of having my ass handed to me." Alessia turned to face Gonzales and glowered at him, "You know, I was better at this when I was just going by instinct."

Gonzales made his way into the ring, carrying two bottles of water. He tossed one to Shepard who caught it and started to drink. He handed the other one to Alessia, "Instinct can only take you so far. Training will keep you alive."

Alessia snorted. "Not if it kills me first. Anyway, I need food."

"Sounds good, we can discuss how you can improve your stance." said Gonzales.

"Oh no, we're not talking shop during lunch. It's my one time to _not_ think about those things." Alessia took a long swig of her water, "Alright, lets go." She marched to the edge of the ring, followed by Gonzales.

Gonzales noticed that Shepard wasn't following and stopped, "You coming Shepard?"

"You two go on ahead. I'll grab something later." she said quickly.

Gonzales gave her a dubious look, "You sure?"

"Really, go on. I'll see you guys later." Looking at her for a moment more, Gonzales slowly nodded then jogged to catch up with Alessia who was almost out of the training area.

Shepard sighed. She'd been doing that a lot, avoiding the others especially during downtimes. Lately, their conversations began to drift to their lives before being recruited and each of them were beginning to tell their stories as they became more comfortable with each other. It was getting harder to avoid the topic of her own past, there were only so many ways a person can divert a conversation before it becomes obvious. She had a knack for drawing out the stories of the others, it helped take the focus off of her but she couldn't keep it up for much longer. Sooner or later, she would have to outright tell them to shut it...or finally tell her own story.

Shepard made her way to her training bag, grabbed a protein bar and wolfed it down. After taking another swig of her water, she crossed the large training room to the area with the heavy bags. She put all her focus on what she was doing, gloves on and tightened, muscles thoroughly warmed up, letting her mind be meticulous on the task at hand. It helped to keep her mind from drifting, a drifting mind meant memories would surface. Staring at her gloved hands she left long, slow breath.

Maybe that's why her nightmares were resurfacing. Back on Arcturus, no one asked her about home, no one took the time to talk to her. Except for Captain Hackett who reminded her of his open door policy. But he never pushed her to talk, never asked her questions about what was going through her mind. Which was good since the only thing she could say was that she wasn't letting it into the forefront of her thoughts. It was easier to push it back, no point on reflecting on the past. The past was the past, long and dead. Better to keep it that way and focus on the now and be ready for the future.

Here though, the others were reliving their pasts. Granted, the past helped make someone who they were. She knew it dictated her current mindset, her desire to protect...everyone. But was it really necessary to explain oneself to other people. Couldn't they just accept who she was without digging into the ashes and flame?

Shaking her head as if to shake the thoughts away, she readied her stance. She needed to focus, force the thoughts aside and just focus on the training.

No point in exhuming the dead.

* * *

><p>She lost complete track of time, settling into a mindless state and letting her body move on its own to a pattern of fighting moves. It felt good, letting her mind drift away to allow her body to function on its own accord.<p>

Maybe that's why she never noticed the approaching figure.

A hand reached forward, lightly touching her shoulder. Instinct kicked and Shepard whirled around, throwing a punch at the assailant.

Reacting quickly, Roden barely managed to dodge her punch and caught her wrist, "Whoa!"

Conscious thought returning, Shepard snapped out of her oblivious state. "Roden! Oh my god, I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay, my fault. Should've known better than to disturb you when you're zoned out." He laughed. "Though in my defense, I only grabbed your shoulder because you didn't respond when I called your name."

"Sorry, I just kinda get into a mode and block everything else out." The adrenaline was starting to subside and for the first time she noticed the fatigue in her arms. "So, what's up?"

"What's up? You missed lunch and it looks like you're about to miss dinner." There was a slight look of concern on his face.

"Oh. I hadn't noticed the time." She said sheepishly.

Roden sighed, "Seems like you do that a lot." There was a biting tone to what he said.

"What do you mean?" Shepard's defenses went up, the look on his face and the tone of his voice had a hint of something...troubling. He stared at her for quite some time, like he was trying to read her face. She hoped she was keeping a neutral, unconcerned look. All the while, her heart was pounding and her body bristled under his scrutiny. The moments were becoming uncomfortable and it was getting harder to look nonchalant. She couldn't take it anymore and opened her mouth to speak.

"Why are you avoiding us?" Roden finally said, cutting her off before her voice could be found.

Shepard was shocked and her brain froze for a second, "I'm not."

"Come on Shepard. You don't eat with us, you don't take any downtime. So what's going on?" A twinge of guilt hit her as the sound of his concern.

"Nothing, I swear. I've just been training." She hoped it didn't sound as hollow as it felt.

A flash of anger, "Training. Right."

"What?" She said, matching his own anger.

"This has gone beyond training. You don't eat. You're up before we are, in bed after...when was the last time you had a decent night's sleep?"

She couldn't help the look of shock that crossed her face. Had he noticed her nightmares? No, it wasn't that. She was sleeping less than the others, using her waking hours to train. That was all he was noticing. "Look, we're being evaluated in...what?...Four days?" she asked, hoping to divert the conversation.

"Three." he said sharply.

"Three days. I just want to show them that I'm committed to this. That I'm taking all of this seriously." It was the excuse she had given herself. If she could convince herself it was the truth, maybe Roden would believe it too.

"You don't think they get that with normal training with the rest of us?"

"It's not that. I just...I need this. I have nothing else. I promise. That's it, nothing else. Just training." It was partly the truth. She did need this life, if she couldn't pass though to the next phase...No, she was going to pass. There was no doubt in her mind that this was to be her life.

Roden looked at her, searching her face. He looked like he wanted to argue or shake her or both. Shepard stood her ground, she needed him to see that as the truth. Training. Nothing more, nothing less.

His shoulders slumped and he sighed, "Okay. I believe you." Shepard inwardly exhaled her relief, "But if there was something wrong, you know you can talk to me, right? We're friends and friends talk to each other." He seemed to be pleading with her.

Friends? She hadn't really thought about him that way before. The word rolled around in her mind and it made her happy, Roden was her friend. The first in a long time. "Of course. If there was or is ever anything wrong, I will come talk to you."

"Promise?" There was a snap of intensity, almost like he was demanding she make a sort of vow.

"Promise." She wasn't sure how she felt about making such a promise but it felt wrong not to. Maybe someday…

"Good." He seemed somewhat satisfied. "Now, you will join the rest of us for dinner. No more skipping meals." Shepard opened her mouth to protest. He held up a hand to cut her off, "It's unhealthy to miss out on both food and relaxation time. I'm sure the Assassins will see you are serious even if you take some time for yourself."

Shepard crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, leaning back in a challenging posture, "Fine. We'll do it your way." There was an underlying hint of amusement in her exasperated voice. While it annoyed her that he was pushing her like this, she understood and appreciated the sentiment. It was also nice to have someone looking out for her.

"Then let's go, don't want to keep the others waiting too long." He gestured for her to join him, obviously not going to let her trail behind.

Gathering her things, she threw the gym bag on her shoulder and walked up to Roden. As she got next to him, she gave him a small smile. "Thanks."

He just returned the smile and led them out of the training room.


	10. Give Me the Chance

**Author's Note: Holy explosion of interest Batman! Sorry this chapter took so long, I was hoping to have it done and up before the release of ME3 but that didn't happen. I have to say, I wasn't all too pleased with the ending of the game and at the time, I thought about just deleting this story because of how unhappy I was with it. Then the massive amount of notifications telling me about new followers and favorites, and the jump in my story stats reinvigorated my desire to write out all of Shepard's story. It also helped me rectify my own headcannon which makes the ending more bearable when I do my two replays.**

**This will be the last chapter for some time, I will be going on publishing hiatus until I have the next few chapters straightened out. I've got a bunch of scenes but no idea what order to put them in. Fortunately, many of the ideas I had were actually confirmed in ME3 so I only have to make slight tweaks here and there, particularly about the prothians. **

**And please, let me know what you think. The comments help a lot to make sure I stay on track. Enjoy!**

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><p>The waiting was the worst.<p>

They were all sitting around, waiting for their turn in front of the Assassin Council. Apparently inducting Recluta to the rank of Novizio, which Roden found translated to novice, was low on their list of priorities. And so they sat, waiting in the small receiving area with too few chairs and watching other, more important people pass by to see the Council.

They had been waiting for hours and Roden was beginning to wonder if this was some sort of final test of endurance or patience. They were all getting antsy and about two hours in, Alessia had a small breakdown and wondered why they couldn't wait somewhere more comfortable. Fortunately, Gonzales and Shepard stepped in and calmed her down.

They were now on hour five and Roden could see that Shepard was on the verge of losing her own patience. Each of them had tried to occupy themselves with something and if it hadn't been for omni-tools, they all would've lost it long ago. As of now, Gonzales was reading a book as Alessia leaned on him and appeared to be napping. Qing was fiddling with Keegan's omni-tool while she sat there and watched, making improvements as he had for both Shepard and himself. Blake had brought a deck of cards and was mindlessly shuffling them.

And Shepard was losing to him at yet another game of chess. Try as he might, it seemed his skills as a chess instructor were no match for her inability to plan too far ahead.

"Check." Roden said with far less enthusiasm than he wanted to let on. The wait was getting to him as well.

Shepard leaned back and rubbed her face, digging the heal of her hand deep into her eyes while trying to suppress a yawn. He knew boredom was not something she tolerated for long, she was a very active person in both body and mind. Chess, a game she was particularly bad at, was not something that was going to occupy her for too much longer. Especially after a three game losing streak. Plus, the whole group was on edge from the wait. Roden felt it and it made it hard to remain focused on the game when the tension in the room was so thick.

"Could you possible stop that incessant beeping for just one moment? I'm getting a headache." Blake snapped.

"Not any worse than you constantly shuffling those damned cards." Qing muttered.

At that, Blake started to purposefully shuffle the cards harder and louder, if that was even possible.

Shepard's eyes made contact with his own and she let out an exasperated sigh.

"Real mature." Qing said sharply.

"Would you two stop bitching?" Alessia hollered, "It's bad enough in here, we don't need you two going at it."

"I'm sorry Princess, did we wake you from your beauty sleep?" Blake said sarcastically.

"Blake." Roden said with a warning growl, "That was stupid."

She moved fast, shooting up from her position and storming over to Blake. "What did you call me?" anger poured from every part of her body. "Call me that again! Do it!"

Blake stood up to face her, pulling himself up straight and trying to use his full height to try and intimidate her. "What are you going to do, Princess? Take your best shot." he challenged with a sardonic smile on his face.

Alessia had an anger problem and a wild fight style. He had seen the damage she had done to Shepard during their first hand-to-hand training, Blake was no match. Roden had to step in, there was no way this would end well. Gonzales seemed to have the same idea as he was getting up and reaching for Alessia to hold her back, Roden would cover Blake. Gonzales had reached Alessia and was holding her arms back before her fist could connect to Blake's face, struggling against her strength. Roden was going to use his own body as a shield to hopefully block any attacks Alessia would be able to break through.

"Come on Ally, back off." Gonzales said, trying to get her to stop her attack.

"That's right Princess, let your boyfriend protect you." Blake yelled.

"Let go of me, let me kick this bastard's ass!" her struggling became more pronounced and Roden could see Gonzales straining to keep his grip while not hurting her in the process.

"You really are some kind idiot, aren't you?" Roden yelled at Blake, he was holding back his own urge to hit him.

"Why do you have to be so antagonistic?" Qing piped in. Roden mentally kicked him, this was the last thing that was needed.

"Back off, Qing." Roden chastised, trying to regain control of the situation.

Alessia was still arguing with Gonzales who continued to hold her. Blake was starting to push against him to get to her, Roden had half a mind to let him go and let her take him down.

"Stand down!" Shepard's voice bellowed. Roden felt his own body stiffen in attention, each of them ending their struggle and standing silent. Each pair of eyes turned to her. Roden was struck by the sight. He was the tallest member of the group and stood several inches taller than her but at that moment he felt like she towered over all. She held a look of calm except for her eyes which blazed with fire that demanded respect. For a moment, he could've sworn she was a biotic as it almost seemed like she had an aura around her, an aura that gave her an air of authority.

"Look at yourselves. Each one of you was hand-picked by the Assassins, brought here and trained. They saw something in you that drew their attention, made you worth more than just simply mindlessly wandering through the galaxy. And now, at a time when we are asked to show them our best, to prove our worth, you devolved into petulant children. Arguing amongst yourselves, fighting...is this what they want from us? We have worked together as a team for over two months and I have no doubt we will continue working together as our training continues. It would be to our best advantage to stick together, to show we can do everything they ask of us...and do so as a cohesive unit." There was no anger in her voice, she never raised it. But there was a force behind and for the first time, he could see her real strength. He could see what the Assassins had really seen in her

They were all silent for a moment, each contemplating her words. Roden could feel his own shame rise up for allowing himself to be dragged into such a childish quibble. He should've known better.

"Sorry Shepard, we lost our heads for a moment but we never should've let it get to us this much. I'm with you." Roden said, wanting to finally break the silence. He locked eyes with her and there was a subtle change in her eyes...relief maybe? He couldn't be sure but he figured no one else would notice as no one else spent as much time with her as he had and he had gotten to know most of her looks by this point.

"You're right, I'm with you too." Gonzales said, pulling himself up straighter.

"Me too." said Keegan, who had been staying away from the arguing, remaining in her place on the floor. She looked like the whole thing had shaken her up but confidence was beginning to return.

Alessia and Qing both mumbled their apologies, Qing looked especially ashamed.

Roden's eyes drifted to Blake. Resentment would be the word Roden would use to describe the look on his face, Blake and Shepard had an antagonistic relationship with Blake constantly trying to push her buttons. It was no surprise he would still be standing against her.

The others drifted away as Shepard stepped forward, Roden could feel electricity surrounding her, a coiled energy ready to be released when needed. She stood toe-to-toe with Blake, her chin lifted not just to be able to look him in the eye but to also show her dominance.

"Do we have a problem Evans?" her voice held a calm that unnerved Roden.

Blake's eyes narrowed, a look of contempt crossed his face. So many retorts could be read on his face, Roden wasn't sure which direction he would go. Roden moved closer to Shepard, taking a protective position just to the right of her, giving her his support and ready to back her up if needed. In the corner of his eye, he could see Gonzales start to do the same. Blake's eyes darted around to the three of them then turned to Shepard.

Finally, Blake relented, "None at all, Shep" he said sharply. "Just keep your bulldogs on a leash and we'll be fine." Blake gave one last look to Roden then backed off, returning to his seat.

Roden let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding and relaxed his shoulders. Everyone began to return to their seats except for Shepard. Tension still surrounded her like she was waiting for something to happen, waiting to make sure everything really was better. Roden began to reach for her, to place his hand on her shoulder and try to put her at ease when the door to the Council chamber opened. The mood suddenly shifted and his hand dropped quickly to his side, everyone else turned to the sound.

Out stepped Hotaru Goto, the Assassin who had been training them on their freerunning skills and de facto Recluta supervisor. "Everything okay out here?"

Shepard straightened up, "Nothing to worry about, we're just all a little...tense...from the wait."

"I apologize for that, other concerns suddenly came up that had to be dealt with immediately." For a moment, Roden could see a worrisome look appear then fade just as quickly. "We are just about ready to begin the evaluations. Byrd, you'll be up first and then we'll move in alphabetical order from there. I'll return in about fifteen." He gave a quick nod then returned to the Chamber.

Roden turned his eyes back to Shepard and he watched as her body visibly relaxed. She turned around, met his eyes and then passed him to sit against a wall further away. He watched as she slumped down onto the floor, wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her head on her knees. Roden gave Blake one last glare then moved to sit next to Shepard. He slid down the wall, settling onto the floor and rested his arms on his bent knees. Everyone was silent, probably mentally calming and preparing themselves for their evals. He knew he was.

"Thanks." Shepard quietly said after a moment.

Roden leaned a little closer to her, bumping his shoulder to hers. "I'll always have your back, Shepard." _Always_.

They sat there quietly, waiting for their turn to come.

* * *

><p>Over two hours had passed since the evaluations began and Shepard could feel her body and mind rebelling against her. Seven hours of waiting had taken its toll...so had her burst of adrenaline when she stepped up to calm the situation earlier. She had never had thought of herself as one to take control but she couldn't let the others rip each other apart. Someone had to get them in line. Apparently, that person had been her.<p>

Now she sat in the small receiving room with Qing, waiting their turn to be called. The others had already gotten through their evaluations and currently Roden was in the Chamber getting his. The odd thing was that none of the others has passed back through the receiving room. They must have gone out some other way and it bothered her a little to not know how the others had done.

Shepard began to rub her temples, a headache had settled in. Her whole body was aching from the lack of any real movement. She looked up at Qing who was nervously fiddling with his omni-tool. His face was pulled in tight, he looked like he was nearing a panic-attack. Thinking back to their conversation nearly two weeks ago, she understood what was making him so worried.

How would the Assassins feel about someone working for them who didn't want to kill another?

"Hey." She said. Qing's head jerked up and slowly his face loosened, giving way to pure apprehension. "It'll be okay."

"I don't know Shepard, I just don't…" his jaw clenched, a million things must be running through his head.

"What's the worst that could happen? They say thanks-but-no-thanks and send you on your way. Hell, I'm sure they'd even find you a place." And she believed it. Reaching over, she grabbed his hand and held it tight, "And if they don't, I'll figure something out."

Qing gave a snort of amusement, "What can you do?"

"Now wait a minute, if there's anything you should know it's to never doubt me. I'll always come through." She held fast to his eyes, not letting him look away, wanting him to see the sincerity.

For a moment, he contemplated what she had said. He let out a slow sigh, "Okay. Yeah, I believe you."

With a curt nod, she leaned back, "Good."

Shepard was amazed at the timing, once again, as the door to the Chamber slid open and Hotaru stepped out. "Elizabeth Shepard, you're up."

Her own feeling of trepidation flared up, this was it. She gave Qing one last look, patted his arm and stood up to follow Hotaru into the Chamber.

It was feeling a little like she was going to her execution.

* * *

><p>The only sensation she could feel was the thrumming of her heart against her chest and the blood running through her veins. The only sound she could hear was the beat that pounded her ears. Every breath was heavy, like trying to breathe through a straw, and it was never enough. Her vision seemed muted, edges were blurred and dark...everything seemed to move so slowly and seemed too distant.<p>

Quietly, she followed Hotaru into the Council Chamber as he led her to the center of the room where a solitary chair waited. He gestured to it, indicating she needed to take a seat, while giving her a reassuring smile. Shepard tried to swallow but her mouth was dry. She took her seat, trying to maintain some composure so as not to give any indication as to how anxious she really felt.

The room was dark, as if lit by torchlight, and highly ornate. It was almost like being in some medieval hall, vaulted ceilings held up by tall pillars that. It reminded her of the main hall she passed through on her first day, she was still in awe of the sight. Before her, a curved table and the five members of the Assassin Council sat. At the center, the Mentor, whom she hadn't seen since her arrival. On either side of him were the rest of the Council, two men and two women. All of them Master Assassins, the highest rank one could attain. Behind the Mentor stood two shadowy figures flanking him, the darkness obscuring who they were. Hotaru had taken his seat at one of many chairs to her right where other Assassins waited, all of whom she recognized as the ones who trained her and the other Recluta.

Each was dressed in typical Assassin garb, white hooded tunic and dark pants, each fashioned to the wearers tastes. The trainers wore more simplistic uniforms while the Council was more elaborately dressed. Everyone had kept their hoods up which made seeing their faces harder in the low light. It would also make it harder for her to read them, not that it really mattered. The Assassins were good at masking their emotions, she never could get a good grasp on them.

"Elizabeth Aine Shepard," she winced internally at the sound of her middle name "you are here to be judged by the Council of Assassins to determine your worth to us. To my right are Katrina Everard and Jaco Segador. To my left, Hikaru Goto and Sarah Ripley." Shepard jumped at Hikaru's name, that must be Hotaru's father. "We will first hear reports by your trainers who have been working with you for these past two months. After that, we will have questions of our own." Shepard pressed her hands onto her thighs to keep them from fidgeting. She had been through one of these once before and that ended badly. She could only hope that this would end in her favor.

They spent a good deal of time listening to the various trainers who she worked with. Najya and Hotaru, the freerunning trainers, spoke of how well and how fast she progressed through each of the courses. Even though she wasn't the best at the start, they told of her determination to do better and how she attained every goal she had set for herself. Hotaru also told of her first day on Intai'sei and the chase in Chuoshi, how she had impressed him early on with her running and tracking skills. Eryx, the hand-to-hand specialist, talked about her natural talent and the advanced training he put her through. He emphasizes her ability to adapt and combine new moves from different styles. Minka, another hand-to-hand- specialist, told of how much Shepard was helping the other Recluta with their training during their free time.

Glowing reviews from each and every one of them. It was making her nervous and more than a little self-conscious. Heaping praise on her was not something she was used to and it was, in a way, highly embarrassing. Looking at the Council, their faces were unmoving and gave nothing away...just as she figured. The two Assassins flanking the Mentor were also causing her some unease. The one to his left didn't bother her so much, his body language was more relaxed, like he was highly interested in what everyone had to say. The one to his right however, he was the one that was causing her some discomfort. She could feel his eyes on her, boring into her and judging her like she didn't belong there.

"Thank you Eryx. And thank you all for your reports." the Mentor said. He turned his attention away from them and back to Shepard. He leaned forward and laced his fingers together, "Shepard, we have heard from all of your trainers. Do you have anything you would like to add?"

She took a deep breath to try and calm the fast beating of her heart. Giving her shoulders a slight roll, she sat up straight. "I only wanted to say thank you and that if you accept me, I will continue to train hard and work to be the best I can be." Immediately, she regretted her words. They were the same ones she gave to the Alliance N7 recruitment board...and that ended…

"I see. " the Mentor leaned back, "Well, does the Council have any thoughts?"

"If you ask me, I have yet to see anything that impresses me about this one." Master Segador spoke up, Shepard's heart stopped. "She has skills, yes, however they can use those same skills in the Alliance. What more would she bring to us."

"There is potential, but what I see is a lack of passion." Master Ripley looked directly at her, "You speak as if you are just another grunt, a cog in a wheel. That is not what we are about."

"Like I said, perfect for the Alliance. More fodder for turian cannons." Master Segador waved his hand as if dismissing her.

"While her skills are impressive, I have...concerns." Concerns. Master Goto was using the same word that the psychiatrist had said. Concerns.

"How do we know that if we train her she won't use her skills to retaliate against the batarians." Master Everard said.

Shepard's world was falling apart. She listened as the Council sat there and debated her worth, unable to believe the words they were saying. Concerns. Retaliation. Batarians. The words burned in ears, a searing force driving through her body. Like a fire, it spread through every part of her until she could see nor hear anything beyond the thumping of her own heart. The smell of smoking flesh, the screams of pain and fear, the singular thought running through her mind...save them…The singular thought that drove her, every part of her, everything that she was came down to those two words...save them…Her mind was filled with the memories of Mindoir and they moved to overtake her. She had to do something...she couldn't lose this chance...to save them...

"Stop!" Shepard shocked herself as she stood up. The room became silent, every eye trained on her as the Council sat stunned. "All I want is the chance to do some good in this galaxy but it seems everywhere I go, everyone I turn to, question my motivations. I hate the batarians that killed my family, I want to see them burn and suffer for what they've done. But I will not go out and seek them in revenge. I will not use what I learn, use my training to hunt them and kill them. More than anything, I want to find peace within myself. I will not get that from vengeance but from saving lives. Captain Hackett told me that you are the...protectors of free will. Let me be a part of that. Just...give me the chance."

Shepard felt her energy was spent. There was nothing left in her. Carefully sitting down, she forced her head up high to face whatever consequences would befall her. The Council members each turned to the Mentor who continued to stare at her. Behind him, the Assassin to his left approached and leaned in close to the Mentor's ear. After a moment, the Mentor nodded to what the Assassin had said. After the Assassin stepped back, the Mentor looked at each of the Council members who had been watching him intently.

"Elizabeth Shepard. It is determined by this Council that you are to officially accepted in the Brotherhood of Assassins and granted the rank of Novizio. You will continue to train in the arts of the Assassin, learn our history, and uphold our Creed." The Mentor's voice reverberated in her head, she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"I'm...I'm accepted?" she could barely contain the shaking of her voice.

"You are being given a second chance, Novizio Shepard. Do not waste it." the Mentor said forcefully.

Shepard stood up and gave a slight bow, feeling her entire body shake, "Thank you." Hotaru approached her and gestured towards a side door. She followed him to the door and she turned to him as it opened. He gave her a slight nod of approval then stepped back into the chamber, leaving her standing at the closed door. She felt her shoulders drop and she let go of the breath she had been holding in. Accepted. She was finally being given her chance.

"Shepard!" She turned to see Roden quickly walking up to her.

"Roden, hey." She said with a relieved smile.

"So? What's the news?"

"I'm in. You?"

"Me too. All of us actually, even Blake if you can believe that." he said shrugging his shoulders. "Though I think his review went badly, he wasn't happy when I saw him after mine."

"Not quite all of us. We still need to hear about Qing, he's in there now." she jutted a thumb behind her, indicating the door.

"Well, everyone else in the lounge waiting. You want to meet up with them?"

"No. I think I'd rather wait here for him. You know...just in case."

"Yeah, it's nice to have friends waiting for you. Good or bad news."

They found a wall off to the side near the door. Roden took a seat and Shepard slid along the wall to sit next to him. Her adrenaline running low, tiredness swept over her as her eyes grew heavier. They had been waiting all day and the expended energy from the day had finally taken its toll. Her head lolled forward a bit.

"Here, lean on my shoulder. He'll be a while." Roden offered.

Shepard rested her head and started to drift, "Thanks."

"Anytime."

There they sat, waiting for their friend.


	11. An Author ReturnsA Parable

**Author's Note: Hello all! It's been a long time (okay, well over a year but this story needed it) and I'm back. I had this long winded explaination for why my story hasn't been updated but I'm going to save you that. Mostly, it boiled down to disappointment over ME3 and AC3. I got burnt out over games and stopped playing for a while and didn't even want to think about the ME world so much that I left this story. However, the idea just wouldn't leave me alone and begged to be written. I've continued to work on the outline, jotting down ideas that came to mind, and finally managed to work out an ending. **

**After a replay of the AC games and a replay of the ME games (with the help of a few mods), I'm back and the story still pesters me to be completed. It'll take time but I hope to get the whole thing out this time around. **

**That being said, this portion will be listed as complete because I've done some major overhauls. That is part of another reason I abandoned the story originally, I hated where I was taking it. The whole opening is completely different and only some parts of the original treatment will return. Some characters are gone, others added, and many changed. I think the story is better and fits both the AC and ME worlds in a more cohesive manner. **

**Below is the new first chapter. This will appear in the remake, Shepard's Creed: Origins. Look for it by Friday with two chapters!**

**Enjoy!**

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><p><em>"Daddy, tell me a story."<em>

_"It's late sweetheart. I'll tell you one in the morning."_

_ "Please Daddy. Just a short one. I promise never to ask again."_

_ "Alright. A quick one."_

_Once upon a time, at a large mountainside there was an eagle nest with four large eagle eggs inside. One day, an earthquake rocked the mountain causing one of the eggs to roll down to a chicken farm, located in the valley below. The chickens knew that they must protect the eagle egg. Eventually, the eagle egg hatched and a beautiful eagle was born. Being chickens, the chickens raised the eagle to be a chicken. Years passed without the eagle thinking anything different other than the life of a chicken. The eagle loved his home and family but it seemed his spirit cried out for more._

_One day he was with his fellow chicken picking seeds off the ground when a shadow covered the sky above him. He lifted his gaze and was mesmerized by the sight of a beautiful eagle cruising the sky. Unlike other chicken that he saw trying to fly, this eagle didn't seem to be making much effort. With his wings spread wide, he was flying smoothly and changing his direction with the slightest gesture._

_"Wow. Look at that!", yelled the young eagle to his friends. "Who is that?", he asked._

_"That's an eagle", replied a chicken. "He's the king of the sky. But we belong here on earth. We are chicken." she continued._

_And the eagle staring at the bird disappearing in the horizon as if it was gliding on an invisible path that only he could see. As the eagle continued to watch he said, "I wish I could soar like those birds."_

_The chickens roared with laughter, "You cannot soar like those. You are a chicken and chickens do not soar."_

_The eagle continued staring at his real family up above, dreaming that he could be like them. Each time the eagle talked about his dreams, he was told it couldn't be done. That was what the eagle learned to believe. After time, the eagle stopped dreaming and continued to live his life as a chicken._

_One day, an old eagle was flying again over the barnyard and was stunned by the sight of an eagle running around with the chicken. He surged down to the ground. As the other birds saw him they ran back to hide in the house. He descended in front of the other eagle before he reached the door._

_"What are you doing?" asked the old eagle._

_"What do you mean?" answered the young one._

_"What are you doing running around with chickens?"_

_"I am a chicken. These are my brothers and sisters. I grew up with them."_

_"No you're not. You're an eagle. You belong in the sky, not on the ground."_

_"No I am not. I am one of them. All I know is to do as they do, and to eat what they eat. I can't even fly."_

_"You can't because you never tried. But you're an eagle, just like me"._

_"Even if what you say is true, I've lived all my life as a chicken. I am not an eagle anymore"."_

_"It's the heart of an eagle that matters, not the way he lived or ate… Come with me."_

_The eagle took another look at his friends hiding in the comfort of home. "Don't listen to him!" yelled one of the chicken. "He is tricking you!" cried another. " If you go with him, you will die!", " Come back and be with us"…_

_But deep inside the eagle's heart, a faint voice told him what he needed to do. He took one more gaze at the barnyard where he spend all his life playing with his friends, then turned around and followed the older eagle._

_A moment later, the arrived at the edge of a cliff. They stood next to each other on the edge looking at the mountains in the distance. Without a second of hesitation, the old eagle jumped off the edge, spread his wings and soared upward._

_The young eagle looked down the cliff and trembled. He'd never flown before. May be he would die. May be he should go back._

_"Don't look down.", the old eagle said "Look up at the sky. Aim toward the sun. Give it a bit of faith."_

_The young eagle lifted his sight up, spread his wings and leaped…_

_Back at the barnyard, the chickens heard a triumphant cry that ascended to heaven. Their feather trembled and they looked at each other without exchanging a word. They know they will miss their brother a lot. They know he might visit some day and tell them how it felt to fly. And they will gather around to hear his stories about the lands he visited. But for the time being, they would keep doing what they did best: living as chicken._

_"That was a good story Daddy."_

_"I'm glad you liked it. Now, time to sleep."_

_"Someday Daddy, I'm going to fly."_

_"I know you will, sweetheart."_

_"Goodnight Daddy. I love you."_

_"I love you too. Goodnight Lizzie."_


End file.
